The Boy who lived and the Girl who died
by dreamer123
Summary: HP crossover set after book six. Basically my version of book seven. Harry is sent to Sunnydale in hopes that Buffy will be able to help him defeat Voldemort.
1. The Boy

**DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE 6TH HP BOOK. THIS STORY CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR BOOK 6!**

The story begins after the end of Book 6. Going By the Harry Potter time line it's 1997 but, like in the book the exact date isn't important. Harry is seventeen. Nothing about his history is changed. Buffy's history stays the same just her age changes. She was called at eleven and is now sixteen almost seventeen. The last two seasons of Buffy never happened when this takes place she has recently been resurrected by Willow and the gang. Also after She jumped in the portal for Dawn, Dawn disappears (It will be explained later)(And no offence to anyone who does but, I didn't really like her character). Her mom is dead and she's an emancipated minor (Just makes everything easier). I know if I go by this than the whole Angel thing happened when she was like twelve so some of the Buffy time line will be messed with to make things not so gross (For lack of a better word.) And some things will be changed and/or removed completely. The major events will mostly stay the same. I know that sounds confusing but it should be clear as the story goes on and if not please let me know. All Quotes for Buffy come from the site Buffy World (Best site for Buffy show info) And belong to Josh Whedon and who ever else owns the show. (Meaning not me) Quotes from harry Potter belong to JK Rowling. Disclaimer Buffy Belongs to Josh Whedon and Harry Potter to J.K. Rowling.

In case you missed it the first time:

**DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE 6TH HP BOOK. THIS STORY CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR BOOK 6!**

Harry sat outside his Aunt and Uncles home silently watching the children ride their bikes up and down the street running around without a care in the world. Anyone watching would think the same of himsitting on the ground with a small knapsack beside him. But in reality he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. He wasn't really sure what he was going to do next. Ron and Hermione would arrive any minute. He smiled thinking of all the times over the summer he'd tried to dissuade them from joining him. They wouldn't hear it, insisting on coming. He wasn't sure were they'd go after Godric's Hollow but, for some reason he knew that's where he had to begin, if nothing else than to pay his respects at his parents graves. He'd said his goodbyes to the Dursley's that morning knowing that being that his seventeenth birthday was yesterday the magic that once protected him there was gone and it was pointless to stay. He half been expecting Voldemort to come attack now that the magic was spent. That thought along kept him on edge. Voldemort would pay, Harry was finally ready to fight, he wanted revenge, for his parents, Sirius and for Dumbledore who like his mother had given his life to save Him. He smiled shaking his head as he heard the familiar bickering coming down the lane.

"We're late and it's all your fault." Hermione accused.

"Hey, you try and sneak out of the house with my mum on patrol. She's gona flip when she finds my note." Ron replied.

"I know, I hated not telling my parents to, but we couldn't let anyone know." She replied.

"We can always just blame it all on Harry no one ever stays mad at him." Ron joked as they approached.

"Hey." Harry said standing to greet them. "All my fault? I believe I told you, you didn't have to come."

"I know mate, I was just kidding." Ron began. "You ready?"

"Yeah, where did you guy's aperate?" Harry asked.

"The woods back there." Hermione replied gesturing behind her. "I got a map of your neighborhood and found." She stopped turning to smack Ron who was rolling his eyes theatrically behind her. "It's a good thing I did. Ron would have wound up popping up in the middle of the street and then what would we do? The ministry would show up."

"Ok, lets get going." Harry interrupted before they could begin another fight. He'd gone to the ministry the day before with Remus to get his aperating license. He'd sent him a note with hedwig this morning explaining what he had to do and asking him to understand.

Godric's Hollow

Harry hadn't been sure what he'd expected to find when he'd approached the house but, it appeared that he, Hermione and Ron were the only ones who could see it. Muggles passing by never even spared it a glance.

"I guess they never took the charm off it." Hermione stated

Harry nodded looking at the pile of rubble that had once been his home. A few walls still stood but the parts of the house that hadn't been destroyed in the attack had deteriorated over time. They waited for Harry to decide what he wanted to do.

"Let's go to the cemetery, there's nothing left here." Harry said turning and walking down the street.

They stood back giving Harry his space as he gazed down at the headstone (I'm making up there birth dates because I don't know when they were actually born)

_James Potter & Lilly Potter_

_1957-1981 1958-1981_

_Beloved Parents and Friends_

_Gone but never Forgotten_

Harry was surprised to see the amount of Flowers that littered the grave site Bending down to place his own among them when something caught his eye. He brushed the flowers away noticing something that seemed to be written along the very bottom as if chiseled in to the stone by hand the writing not matching the fancy script above. He was furious, someone had defiled his parents grave then he saw what it said. Harry Potter.

"Do you guys see this." Harry asked calling them over.

"What?" Ron asked bending down to peer at the stone.

"There's nothing there." Hermione added.

"It says my name." Harry declared confused they didn't see it. "It's right there." He said placing his finger on his name and then he felt it. Like Dumbledore had in the cave, it was magic. He knew what he had to do. Ron and Hermione stared at him as if he'd lost his mind as he rifled through his bag pulling out a knife and slicing through the flesh on his palm. He pressed it against the stone. Hermione let out a gasp as his hand went through as in dipping into water instead of a solid block of granite. Then he felt it pulling his hand back the small box held firmly in his grasp. He glanced back at the stone watching as his name disappeared.

"What is that?" Ron asked as Hermione quickly healed his cut.

"I don't know." Harry replied. "But, we need to get out of here." He didn't want to stay anywhere to long after they'd used magic, it would be to easy to trace them. He pulled out his wand quickly clearing away any traces of his blood that where left before they hurried out each wondering what was in the box and who had left it.

Harry placed the box on the table of the cheap motel they'd chosen to spend the night. Ron and Hermione watched anxiously as he opened the lid and peered inside. He pulled out two small vials containing a silvery liquid he immediately realized was a memory, but who's? He carefully placed them on the table explaining what they were and reached back in pulling out three large silver crosses on long chains. He placed them by the vials and pulled out the last two items, letters, one with his name on it. He recognized the handwriting quickly tearing it open he read aloud for Ron and Hermione.

_Dear Harry,_

_If your reading this I'm probably gone. I hoped to be able to help see you through the rough road you face ahead. I knew you would eventually stop here and hoped you would find what I could trust noone else but you with. I have many secrets most of which have most likely died with me but, I need to share this last one with you, and of course with your two young friends whom I am sure are accompanying you on your journey. Enclosed are directions to a small town in southern California. There you will meet an extraordinary young girl who will help prepare you for what is to come. Please give the other letter and the vials to her. I had hoped to be able to accompany you myself but, it seems I have moved on to another adventure. I can not stress how important it is that you tell noone where you are going, and where you have been after you have returned. I have faith in you Harry, when the time comes you'll be ready. Have a safe journey._

_Good luck,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

"So what now?" Ron asked breaking the silence. Harry quickly scanned the next page.

" I guess we're going to Sunnydale." He replied. "What kind of name is Buffy?"


	2. The Girl

Some things you need to know are Buffy got Faith released from jail after Glory showed up to help protect Dawn. Spike isn't going to really be in the story at all.

Sunnydale:

Buffy sat in her small apartment Boxes surrounded her all marked clearly in magic marker. It had been six months since she'd been back. Six long month since she'd been ripped from the only peace she'd found in her short life. It had been unbearably painful at first. Waking up in her grave, clawing her way through the dirt, not understanding anything and that was the high point. After the fog cleared she was left only with the pain. And then there were her friends and she used that term loosely. They explained that the powers had taken Dawn after she jumped, how they hadn't been able to do anything. She let them believe they had saved her, she couldn't bring herself to tell them what they had done, how badly they'd hurt her. They hadn't understood when she'd sold her house and most of the possessions inside, she couldn't go back there. They'd tried to understand why she avoided them, why she sat alone in the dingy apartment staring silently at the walls, never bothering to unpack, only going out for her nightly patrol. She had fulfilled her destiny and now she had no purpose. Then, after a month they got fed up. They never saw it coming. They fought, she blurted out the truth and now they avoided her. Not that she went out of her way to see them, or anyone else. She only spoke with Faith and that was only when she ran into her on patrol. They had come to an understanding, they didn't talk about the past. Mainly they talked about slaying. Faith managed to slip in bits of info on her friends. That was until one night after meeting up in one of the cemeteries they were ambushed. A demon had opened a portal bringing in a seemingly endless supply of vampires. There were just to many of them, even with two slayer they both knew there chances were bad.

Flash Back :

_"What do we do B?" Faith asked Buffy could hear the fear breaking through her tough bravado. They'd been fighting for an hour, they were both tiring._

_"We've got to get to the demon, we stop him the portal should close." Buffy replied. Then it hit her, why was she fighting so hard? It would be easy to just stop, let them take her, end her pain. She glanced over as Faith struggled to recover from anther blow._

_"I always knew I'd go out kicking and screaming." Faith called. Buffy could see she wouldn't last much longer, neither of them would. She fought her way over to the other slayer, back to back they continued to fight._

_"I'll distract them, you go for the demon." Buffy ordered._

_"There's to many of them B, even your not that good." Faith replied. "I'll never get through."_

_"When I say go, just go." Buffy Began. "I'll clear a path for you."_

_"I'm not going to leave you here, there's to many for you to fight alone." Faith replied._

_"If you don't do this we'll both die, Just go. We can't let these Vamps get into town. No matter what happens to us we need to close this portal." Buffy began. "I need you to trust me."_

_"I trust you." Faith replied warily. Buffy turned pointing what looked like a long wooden stick over Faith's shoulder._

_"Reducto" She yelled blasting a path trough the army of vamps pushing faith with her last bit of strength. Faith used all the slayer speed she could muster to rush trough the gap before the vamps filled it. She felt how weak buffy had become after saying the spell and knew the vamps were going to kill her, her only hope was that they may disappear after the portal closed. She took her dagger slamming it through the demons heart breathing a sigh of relief as the portal closed and the vamps vanished into thin air._

_"We did it" Faith began triumphantly spinning around Just in time to see Buffy collapse. "B" She yelled rushing over. She took her home and waited nervously as Buffy regained consciousness. "You wana tell me what the hell happened back there?" Faith asked as Buffy sat up uneasily. That's when Buffy finally decided to trust someone her secret._

_"I'm a witch." She replied._

_"Like Willow." Faith asked confused as to why she would keep that a secret._

_"No, I was born one, I come from a long line of witches and wizard. There's a whole other world of magic." Buffy began trying to find the best way to explain. "Well not another world, people that live in this world that are born witches and wizard. They live apart from nonmagic people. They have there own government and everything." Buffy went on to explain about the Ministry and how they keep muggles from discovering magic existed._

_"I don't understand, your mom was a witch to?" Faith asked._

_"My birth mom was." buffy replied._

_"Wait, Joyce wasn't your real mom?" Faith asked surprised._

_"No, but she never knew that, neither did I until a few years ago. My birth family was killed by some evil wizards when I was a baby and the Ministry wanted me dead." Buffy explained._

_"Wait, back up. I thought the ministry was good." Faith cut in confused._

_"I guess I should start at the beginning. It all started with a prophecy." Buffy began..._

_Faith had been stunned into silence by the time Buffy was done._

_"I don't know what to say." She began. "I mean I always thought you had it so good."_

_"I know, but it turns out my life pretty much sucks." Buffy replied. "It feels nice to final tell someone. I hated lying to everyone."_

_"I better get this amulet to Giles, find out if we'll have anymore surprise vamp armies." Faith began. "Don't worry I'll leave out the ass kicking spell part. Your secrets safe with me."_

And she kept her word. Months passed and she never brought it up, when they would meet come across each other during there nightly slaying they returned to there regular routine of shop talk. Buffy glanced out her window watching as the sun disappeared. Pulling on her boots she headed out for a quick sweep. But, it was a dead night. She ran into Faith at the park and found the other slayer hadn't run into any action latter. Which was why she was now sitting on a gravestone twirling a stake around in her hand waiting for something to attack her, she was growing bored and was about to give up and just go home and resume her wall staring when she was approached by three teens.

"Buffy Summers?" One of the boys asked. Buffy studied them, she could feel the magic rolling off them.

"Who wants to know?" Buffy asked.

"We do obviously." the redhead replied earning himself a smack from the bushy haired girl next to him. Buffy Studied the Dark haired boy, he seemed to be the leader of the group. Her eyes came to rest on the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead.

"So, you're the boy who lived." Buffy said recognizing him. Harry nodded uncomfortable under her scrutiny. "What do you want?"

"Albus Dumbledore sent us." Harry replied.

"He wouldn't send you here alone, he would have come, unless." Buffy paused her eyes never left his. "He's dead isn't he?" She asked Harry nodded. "When?"

"About a month ago." Harry replied. He watched uncomfortably as tore her gaze from his blinking back the tears that threatened to fall. "These are my friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger." Harry introduced them unsure of what else to say. "And you already know who I am."

"Yup, Harry Potter, the boy who lived." Buffy replied.

"I hate being called that." Harry interrupted her.

"Why it's a better nickname than mine." Buffy replied.

"So you are Buffy Summers?" Hermione asked confused by her cryptic answers.

"No." Buffy replied.

"What?" Ron asked confused. The teens all reached into their robes ready to pull out their wands.

"I wouldn't bother." Buffy said. "Your magic wont work very well here."

"Why not." Harry asked eyeing her warily.

"I guess I should introduce myself." Buffy began regaining her composer. " I'm not Buffy Summers, because she doesn't exist, not really anyway. But, I am who your looking for."

"Anyone else confused?" Ron asked.

"Who are you?" Harry demanded.

"My real name is Elisabeth Anne Dumbledore, I'm the girl who died. Welcome to the hellmouth." Buffy replied.


	3. Explanations

"My real name is Elisabeth Anne Dumbledore, I'm the girl who died. Welcome to the hellmouth." Buffy replied. Harry and Hermione stared at her stunned.

"You can't be, she's dead." Ron declared causing his friends to stare at him confused.

"Hence the fun nickname." Buffy replied.

"I don't believe you." Ron began. "If you're her, where have you been all these years, everyone thinks you died."

"I know, that was the point." Buffy began stopping suddenly and roughly pushing Hermione to the ground before the vampire could grab her. They watched stunned as she fought the vamp quickly staking it. "We need to get you guys indoors, it's to dangerous for you to be out here." Buffy said helping Hermione up.

"That was a vampire wasn't it." Hermione asked.

"Yes." Buffy replied "Come on let's go before we find out if he had any friends."

"How did you do that?" Hermione began. "You killed it without magic."

"It's my job, we'll it was my job." Buffy explained as she began walking. "Are you guys coming or what." Ron and Hermione looked to Harry to see what he though.

"Oh my god, you're the Slayer!" Hermione declared finally figuring it out.

"Give the girl a prize." Buffy replied. "So are you guys coming or not."

"The what?" Harry asked.

"Honestly, would it kill you two to pay attention in class." Hermione began.

"Why should we trust you?" Harry asked.

"You know what, I don't really care if you do." Buffy said getting angry. "I sure as hell didn't ask you to come here looking for me. I don't even know why a said I would help you in the first place. But, my he had to come and make me feel all guilty so I promised. So if you want my help come with me, and if you don't that's fine just get the hell out of here before you get yourselves killed."

"Were not exactly defenseless." Harry replied drawing his wand.

"Don't you listen, your standing on a hellmouth, well not the actual mouth but close enough." Buffy replied. "You know what that is don't you?" Hermione nodded but the boys continued to look confused. "Basically your on a big magnet for evil, and the energy it gives off makes your magic go all screwy."

"Professor Dumbledore wouldn't have sent us somewhere so dangerous unprotected." Hermione insisted.

"Yes he would." Harry said surprising them all. "If he knew we'd be protected once we got here."

"Um guys." Ron cut her off. "She's leaving." He said gesturing to the gates of the cemetery.

"Lets go." Harry said following her.

"So you trust her?" Ron asked.

"I don't know, but Dumbledore did." Harry replied. "But then again he trusted Snape and we all know how that turned out."

Buffy walked into her apartment leaving the door ajar, the three teens had followed her at a distance from the cemetery and now stood nervously outside not sure if they should go in. She didn't invite them in mainly out of habit, she knew they weren't vampires but, she also knew it would give her a few minutes to absorb what had just happened. Finally she grew tired of waiting.

"If your waiting for an invitation, you'll be out there all night." She called.

"Oh right, vampires can't come into your home unless invited." Hermione explained to the confused boys.

"So you thought we we're vampires?" Ron asked as they entered shutting the door behind them.

"No." Buffy replied.

"Well um," Harry began unsurely. "These are for you." he said handing her the letter and vials. She took them tentatively placing them on the one table she owned, she knew what the vials contained. She'd asked to see what was in the one long ago but, he'd refused. She knew they were all waiting for explanations, she was glad Hermione had explained to them what a slayer was on the walk over so at least she wouldn't have to go into that.

"So, as your friend Ron pointed out as far as the wizarding wold is concerned, Elisabeth Anne Dumbledore is dead. She died December 24th 1980 with the rest of her family."

"She is dead I've seen her grave and everything." Ron interrupted.

"Yeah, I seem to collect those." Buffy began. "But, I didn't die that day, in fact it was your father who saved my life."

"Ron's dad saved you from the death eaters?" Harry asked surprised.

"No, he saved me from everyone else. Aurors came and they were battling them, my mother, father and brother were all dead, but I was still alive. Then, the council showed up looking for me. Your father snuck me out somehow, and made it look like I died." Buffy explained.

"I don't understand." Ron began. "I mean why would you need to be saved from everyone else?"

"The death eaters weren't there to kill me,t hey wanted to kidnap me. That Voldy, whatever guy." Buffy replied. "He was informed about an ancient prophecy and knew what I was."

"But, I don't see how it's possible." Hermione interrupted "A witch can't be the slayer, it's not possible."

"That's not true, but it's what the ministry wants you to believe. It's just very rare. There have been two other slayers born into wizarding families. The more recent a few hundred years ago was a squib, but the other noone's really exactly sure how long ago it was, but she's the reason they wanted me dead." Buffy Began. "Because like me she was a witch."

"But, isn't that a good thing, wouldn't be able to do magic help you as a slayer." Hermione asked.

"That's what they thought at first. She was trained as the slayer and also taught magic and then one day they realized how powerful she was. They became terrified of her power and decided she needed to be destroyed. " Buffy replied.

"They killed her?" Harry asked stunned, he knew the Ministry was full of idiots but didn't think they'd go that far.

"They tried. The Ministry and Council had worked together to train her and together they tried to kill her and in doing so turned her into what they feared most. She joined forces with demons and dark wizards, for the next few years things went pretty bad until she was finally killed in battle and the next slayer was called. After that the Council and Ministry came to an agreement that any potential born into a wizarding family would be destroyed at birth, but the problem with that was the magic used to detect potentials is effected by the magic used to hide the wizarding world. So the more recent slayer wasn't detected until after she was called. There's actually a law and everything that allows them to kill a potential that's also a witch, by then they already knew she was a squib so they didn't do anything. Then I was born." Buffy continued.

"So how did they discover you were a potential?" Hermione asked.

"I told you there was a prophecy." Buffy explained. "Someone uncovered an ancient prophecy in the ministry a while before I was born and it was kept in the strictest secrecy until they realized it was about to come true. It was oddly specific for a prophecy, it basically said a slayer would be born into a pureblood family that year."

"But, that doesn't mean it was definitely you." Harry interrupted, thinking to how his own prophecy could have been meant for someone else as well.

"No, that's the thing, it had to be me. There were only three purebloods born in 1980, and only one girl." Buffy replied.

"That's not true, there are a few pureblood girls at our school born that year." Harry argued.

"There not really pure bloods." Buffy began. "If you look closely back through their blood lines you'll find a muggle or two in them. So anyway they waited for the kids to be born. You came first."

"Me?" Ron asked shocked.

"Yup, then another boy, Draco, something." Buffy continued.

"Malfoy." harry spat disappointed he'd been hoping to rub in his face that he wasn't a true pure blood.

"That's it. Then they knew it had to be the last one, me. But that presented a big problem." Buffy continued. "Because I just so happened to be the granddaughter of the most powerful wizard of our time. Which I think only made them more determined that I shouldn't live. They waited until they caught a break, when they were notified death eaters had attacked my home they sent the Aurors but, also gave a special order, they were to capture the death eaters but, kill the baby and make it look like death eater got me. But, lucky for me my dads best friend worked at the ministry and overheard. He rushed over making it just in time to save me and make it look like I died before they got there."

"So how did you end up here?" Ron asked.

"Your dad brought me to my grandfather and told him about the prophecy and what the ministry was trying to do. He realized that I wouldn't be safe in the wizarding world but, he also knew he was needed there. Short version, he brought me to America and found a good muggle Family trying to adopt, used magic to get me placed with them and to keep me off the councils radar. Then returned home to bury his son and his family, never letting on that I lived. Then one day, after I had been called, much to my surprise an owl flies into my room, with a letter saying I've been accepted into a school called Hogwarts. Shortly after that a weird old man shows up claiming to be my Grandfather and telling me what I just told you." Buffy finished.


	4. Life sucks

"Now, if you guys still don't believe me, your free to leave. I didn't ask for any of this. But, if you want to help there are some ground rules." Buffy began. "First you stay inside, especially at night unless your with me. Second you don't repeat a word of what I just told you to anyone, and the most important, if I tell you to do something, do it. Unless you want to get yourselves killed. You guys decide what your gona do and let me know." she finished walking into the bedroom and closing the door behind her.

"She seems nice." Ron said sarcastically.

"I don't know what to think." Hermione began. "It's your call Harry."

"I guess we have to trust her, at least until we know more. I mean we don't really have anywhere else to go from." Harry began. "We have know idea where the other horcruxes are."

"But, how is she supposed to help. Is she supposed to train us to fight or something?" Hermione asked.

"I guess we'll have to ask her to find out." Harry began but was interrupted by a tapping on the window. They all froze taking out their wands on instinct before they remembered they'd be of little use. Harry turned to the window and let out a sigh of relief hurrying over to open it. "Fawkes, what are you doing here?"

"He showed up about a month ago." Buffy said from her doorway surprising the teens. "I knew then something had happened but, I didn't really believe it till you guys showed up. I mean, I know he was way old and everything but..." she trailed off. "So are you guys staying or what?"

"For now" Harry replied. "I'm still not sure I trust you."

"Good." Buffy replied surprising them. "That's lesson one, the only person you can ever really trust is yourself."

"What exactly are you supposed to be teaching me?" Harry asked.

"I'm not supposed to tech you anything, not really. I promised to help you figure out for yourself what you need." Buffy replied cryptically. "Look, it's kinda hard to explain but, I know that there's some prophecy about you and that voldy guy. I don't know what it says exactly, and I really don't care. But I'm guessing the gist is only you can stop him." Buffy paused looking to Harry who nodded. "I know what that's like. Sucks to be you but, get over it."

"Hey." Harry began furiously. "What do you mean get over it?"

"I mean get over it." Buffy replied calmly. "The universe picked you to be it's savior, doesn't make you special."

"Harry is special." Hermione began indignantly.

"So this is the big plan you insult Harry and suddenly he's able to defeat Voldemort?" Ron asked cringing as he said his name.

"Do they fight all your battles for you?" Buffy asked.

"What's your problem?" Harry yelled.

"You need to control your temper, it's way to easy to rile you up." Buffy replied calmly.

"Is that lesson two?" Harry asked sarcastically.

"No, just a piece of advice." Buffy replied. "So, are you ready to start?"

"Start what?" Harry asked.

"What you came here for, to learn." Buffy replied pulling a trunk over and opening it.

"I still don't see what I can learn from you." Harry replied.

"Oh, so your ready. You can defeat what's his name. Well then go, do it." Buffy replied.

"I will defeat him." Harry declared.

"You want revenge." Buffy stated. "If that's what your looking for, you'll never find it." She continued pulling things out of the trunk till she found what she was looking for. "You know what this is?"

"It's a pensive." Harry replied.

"Good, I assume you've used it with my grandfather." Buffy replied.

"Yes." Harry answered.

"Well then, lets get started." Buffy replied placing it on the table. "Have you two ever been in one?" She asked Ron and Hermione. They shook their heads. "Well, you guys get what it is."

"A way to look at ones memories." Hermione recited.

"Yup, so that means you guys have nothing to be afraid of, nothing in here can hurt you." Buffy explained.

"Who's memories will we be seeing." Ron asked.

"Mine." Buffy replied. "I know your gona have a lot of questions, but it's important to observe. You can ask me whatever you want when we get out." Buffy said bring her wand to her temple and pulling the silver substance down into the pensive, giving it a swirl with her wand. "You guys ready?" They nodded. "Let's get this over with buffy said as they stepped around the pensive. Ron and Hermione were a bit surprised when they were pulled in but, quickly recovered glancing around. Harry glanced at his surroundings, they were in a city, it was almost dusk he was about to ask where they were when Buffy motioned them to follow her. Then their were two of her, the much younger Buffy sat on the steps of her school surrounded by a group of giggling girls. They could tell right away that she was the leader of the group everyone hanging onto her every word. Harry studied both Buffys noticing how Buffy looked longingly at her former self. Then the girls left leaving her alone. She stood and began to walk, then a man approached her. "This is when my life changed forever." Buffy commented quietly. They watched as he tried to explain her destiny, her disbelief and resistance. Then she reluctancy followed the man. "Lets go." Buffy said as they trailed after the duo. They watched her as she battled her first vampire, go home and listen to her parents argue over her, and cry herself to sleep. They moved through more memories, her watcher dying, being expelled from school, her parents marriage falling apart. Meeting her grandfather and discovering the truth, and finally the day her mother told her they were moving to Sunnydale. "OK, lets go." Buffy said and then they were back in her apartment."so, what have we learned?"

"That your life sucks." Ron replied.

"Besides that?" She asked.

"Why did you do it?" Harry asked.

"Do what?" She asked.

"Go with that man, fight the vampires?" Harry replied.

"I didn't really have a choice, did I." Buffy replied.

"Yes you did." Harry insisted. Buffy smiled.

"That's what we were supposed to see." Hermione exclaimed triumphantly.

"That she had a choice?" Ron asked confused.

"That we all do." Buffy explained. "Destiny, prophecies, higher powers, in the end they don't matter. It's what we choose to do. It may not be easy, it may be painful, but in the end it's our choices that matter. I learned that particular lesson from a very unpleasant man, but we'll get to that later. It's late, I'm tired."


	5. Painful Lessons

Italics are transcripts from, the Show Buffy The Vampire Slayer and belong to Josh Whedon and Mutant enemy and whoever else, meaning not me. I only changed her age in it to fit my story. I got them from the site had been staring at that letter all night, as if it was something that could harm her. She couldn't help but be curious at what it said, what great wisdom it contained. He told her once, I'll let you in on a secret, possibly the greatest piece of wisdom a person can have. She'd been intrigued, asking what it was, but he'd only smiled and shook his head. Your not ready to hear it yet. He'd replied with a grin. I don't know, you're a pretty old guy, what if you think I'm never ready? She'd asked teasingly. Then, I shall leave it for you. I'll write it down for you, read it when your ready. Ok, give it to me, she said. Not now he'd replied. I have many earthly possessions, much I can bestow upon you after I am gone, but this is what you should treasure, for few people ever understand it's magnitude. So now she had it, for all she knew the secrets of the universe, the answer to why they were all here, it could all be hidden in that envelope and she was to damn cowardly to read it.

Harry sat quietly waiting for the others to wake. It had been three days since they'd come here and he'd begun his journey through the strange girls memories. They'd spent the past night watching her adjust to life in Sunnydale, he watched the scooby gang as she liked to call them form and they'd been surprised how much of themselves they saw in Buffy and her friends. He had to wonder what had happened to they young blonde to turn her from the happy, upbeat girl she was in her memories into the shadow a person they saw now. Her cryptic 'lessons' as she liked to call them weren't what he'd been expecting and he'd begun to wonder if this was helping at all. He'd rather be out finding the rest of the horcruxes but, something about her drew him, he wanted to see the rest of her story. Maybe it was because he identified with her, maybe it was because in some ways he was afraid he to would become like her.

It was the afternoon and the teens sat around the apartment. Ron who had never before seen one was happily flipping through channels on Buffy's tv. Constantly asking a very amused Harry questions about the ways it worked. Harry had given up on explaining to Ron how animation worked. Ron declaring that Muggles couldn't make drawings move without magic.

Buffy and Hermione sat at her small kitchen table quietly discussing something with books open all around them. Harry had been surprised by how well the girls had gotten along. Hermione never really seemed to have many female friends. They'd learned from Buffy that she could do some magic, Dumbledore had taught her and given her books, but Hermione was helping her learn more. They often spent hours pouring over their books. Much to Ron and Harry's displeasure. Though Ron had quickly gotten over it when Buffy had chucked a remote control at his head telling him to watch tv and leave them alone. The boys were engrossed in the wrestling match on the screen Ron shouting for his new favorite wrestler. When giggling from the girls suddenly drew their attention. They were shocked, Hermione didn't giggle.

"What's going on?" Ron asked them.

"Nothing." They replied in unison looking at each other and bursting into laughter.

Buffy suddenly stopped laughing surprised by the sound coming from her. She glanced around the small room wondering when she'd changed.

"Damn him." She mumbled abruptly standing from the table and storming into her room, slamming the door behind her. Ron and Harry turned to an equally confused Hermione.

"I always thought she was nuts." Ron said shrugging as he turned back to the tv.

"Maybe one of us should check on her." Hermione said pointedly.

"Fine." Harry sighed standing up and walking over to her door. He knocked waiting for a response, but none came. Knocking again and was again ignored. He captiously turned the nob slowly opening the door and stepping inside only to find her pacing the room mumbling under breath.

"He did it on purpose you know." She said without turning to him. Harry jumped at the comment thinking she was unaware f his presence.

"Who did what?" He asked confused.

"Dumbledore, he sent you here on purpose. Just to mess with my head." She explained.

"I thought we were here so you could help me." he began confused.

"Yes and no." She replied finally turning to look at him. "I'm not the only person who could show you, hell you could figure it out for yourself like I had to but, he made me promise. Not to help you, but to help me."

"How does this help you?" Harry asked confused.

"You saw her, the girl I used to be, the girl he wants me to be again." Buffy replied sadly. "He thought bringing you guys here, forcing me to relive my past, all that would make me see what I gave up on, the person I used to be."

"Can I ask you something?" Harry began nervously. She nodded. "What happened to make you change?"

"Life happened." She replied knowing he wouldn't yet grasp the double meaning of her statement. "I've got to get out of here for a while." She said rummaging through her closet. She pulled out a black leather coat putting it on she glanced back at him. "Don't answer the door, I'll be back later." She finished climbing out the window.

Harry sat on her bed confused. He never knew what to expect from her. At times she almost seemed like any other normal girl. He thought back to what she'd shown them the night before.

_Cut outside the school at night. Cut to the girls' locker room. Buffy shuts her gym locker. Two girls walk by chatting. Buffy plays with a stake as she heads to the sinks and puts it down on one. She looks at herself in the mirror and absently turns on the water. After looking in the mirror another moment she looks down and sees that blood is pouring from the faucet. _

"Is that blood?" Hermione asked disgusted. Buffy ignored her question gesturing for them to keep up with her past self.

_Cut to the library. Buffy comes in. _

_Buffy: (to herself) Giles, you are not gonna believe this. She stops when she hears Giles talking and looks into his office. _

_Giles: It's clear. It's what's gonna happen. Uh, it's happening now! Angel moves into the light to read the Codex, and Buffy sees him. _

_Buffy: Angel? She heads toward the office. _

_Angel: It can't be. You've gotta be wrong. _

_Giles: I've checked it against all my other volumes. It's very real. Buffy stops at the door. _

_Angel: Well, there's gotta be some way around it. _

_Giles: Listen. Some prophecies are, are a bit dodgy. They're, they're mutable. Buffy herself has, has thwarted them time and time again, but this is the Codex. There is nothing in it that does not come to pass. _

_Angel: Then you're reading it wrong. _

_Giles: I wish to God I were! But it's very plain! Tomorrow night Buffy will face the Master, and she will die._

Buffy is stunned.

"Ok, let's go." Buffy said pulling them out of the pensive.

"Wait, what happens next?" Ron asked.

"How did you react when you first heard your prophecy?" Buffy asked Harry. "Not well I'm guessing. Well, part of you probably saw it coming, eventual you knew it would happen, but to hear it. To have someone say it out loud..."

"Makes it real." Harry finished for her. "So what did you do?"

"What would you do?" She asked "Let's see." She said pulling another memories and swirling it into the pensive. They all stood waiting as it sucked them in.

Giles' office.

_Angel: Well, have you verified the text?_

_Buffy begins to laugh. Angel and Giles see her and exchange a look. She slowly starts to walk away from the office door. Angel comes out of the office after her. She stops by the table and faces them. Giles stands in his office doorway. _

_Buffy: So that's it, huh? I remember the drill. One Slayer dies, next one's called! Wonder who she is. (to Giles) Will you train her? Or will they send someone else?_

_Giles: Buffy, I... _

_Buffy: They say how he's gonna kill me? Do you think it'll hurt? Tears are flowing freely from her eyes. Angel tries to hug her, but she puts up her hands and quickly steps away. _

_Buffy: Don't touch me! (to Giles) Were you even gonna tell me?_

_Giles: I was hoping that I wouldn't have to. That there was... some way around it. I... _

_Buffy: I've got a way around it. I quit! _

_Angel: It's not that simple. _

_Buffy: I'm making it that simple! I quit! I resign, I-I'm fired, you can find someone else to stop the Master from taking over! _

_Giles: I'm not sure that anyone else can. All the... the signs indicate... _

_Buffy: The signs? (throws a book at him) READ ME THE SIGNS! (throws another one) TELL ME MY FORTUNE! YOU'RE SO USEFUL SITTING HERE WITH ALL YOUR BOOKS! YOU'RE REALLY A LOTTA HELP! _

_Giles: No, I don't suppose I am. _

_Angel: I know this is hard. _

_Buffy: What do you know about this? You're never gonna die! _

_Angel: You think I want anything to happen to you? Do you think I could stand it? We just gotta figure out a way... _

_Buffy: I already did. I quit, remember? Pay attention! _

_Giles: Buffy, if the Master rises... _

_Buffy: (yanks the cross from her neck) I don't care! (calms down) I don't care. Giles, I'm thirteen years old. I don't wanna die. _

_Giles is at a loss. Buffy throws her cross down. Angel doesn't know what to say either. She walks out of the library without looking back._

"So you just quit?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"you never answered my question. What would you do? What would you do if you knew that you were going to die? That it was you destiny, you duty to do so?"

Somehow he knew it hadn't been that simple, she hadn't quit, she couldn't. "What happened to you?" He whispered sadly. He'd seen her struggles through her memories, he watched her fight, die, and come back for more. She may have kicked and screamed along the way but in the end she always did what she was supposed to, always saved the day no matter the cost to herself. She was so strong, so determined and now, she'd given up.

"Where's Buffy?" Hermione asked when he returned alone.

"Out." He replied shrugging. He glanced around the room as if it held some clue. But, as usual it still was filled with the bare essentials and a few unopened boxes. Then it hit him. He walked over to a box scanning it quickly before moving onto the next. From what he could tell most contained her mothers things but then their was one box he paused turning to Hermione.

"Who's Dawn?" He asked.


	6. Reminiscing

The italics in this Chapter are the actual dialogue from the episode "The Gift" from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It belongs to Josh Whedon and Mutant Enemy and whoever else owns BTVS. Not me. I got the transcripts from the site Buffyworld (The best BTVS site I've come across.). Thanks for the reviews, now back to the story.

"Dawn, was the part of me that I could never be, she was the reason I fought, and the reason I gave up." Buffy said startling them all. "That's tonight's lesson." She continued walking into the room. "Someone once asked me what I was willing to give up, in order to win. So, what are prepared to lose?" She asked Harry.

"What do you mean?" He asked nervously.

"It's not a trick question, it means exactly what it means. There's always a cost to victory, what are you prepared to lose, to sacrifice to the greater good?" She demanded. "What price are you willing to pay?"

"I think I've paid enough already." Harry shot back bitterly.

"I'm sure you do, but that doesn't matter. Just when you think you've lost it all, the world has a way of pulling the rug out from under you. There's no such thing as rock bottom, theirs always a layer waiting below it." She said calmly.

"How is this going to help Harry discover how to defeat Voldemort?" Hermione demanded.

"It's not, I'm not." Buffy replied. "I don't have some secret plan up my sleeve, I don't have the answers, the only person who does is him. There isn't one way, there's always another way, a different not necessarily better way but, it's.."

"About Choices." Harry finished for her.

"Your finally getting it." Buffy said with a small smile. "It's scary, I get it, really I do. Once you make your decision though, once you figure it out, it's just ok, I don't really know how to explain it. Anyways, I guess to answer your first question, Dawn was my sister, but not really..."

Harry sat up unable to sleep. She'd taken them through Dawn's arrival and her discovery that Dawn was the key. They watched as her mother died and her determination to protect her sister. She pulled them out after Glory kidnaped Dawn, calling it a night. He assumed she lost, Dawn was no longer around, so that must be what caused her to change so much. He sighed glancing at his watch for the hundredth time that night. He walked across the room intent on finding something to read, even studying would be better than staring blankly into space. He paused noticing light coming from underneath Buffy's door. He knocked softly careful not to wake the others. She opened the door motioning him into the room.

"Can't sleep?" She asked quietly avoiding his gaze.

"Two years ago I lost my godfather, it was all my fault." Harry began somberly. "I get it, I mean I understand..."

"How was it your fault?" Buffy demanded. He quickly explained about the prophecy and the chamber of mysteries.

"Sounds like it was their fault for keeping you in the dark." Buffy replied.

"Yes, but if I had just." Harry began.

"Just what?" She cut him off. "Been a second sooner, aimed better, trained harder? I get the guilt, trust me I get that but, you can't let it consume you. You may be a hero, the savior of the world but, that doesn't mean you can save everyone."

"Your one to talk." He shot back. "You've holed yourself up in here on some kind of guilt trip."

"That's not what's happening here." She replied smiling sadly. "I'm not sitting around feeling guilty, I'm wallowing."

"In what?" He asked.

"Self pity." She replied with a hollow laugh. "Pinning away for something I may never get back."

"What's that?" He asked.

"Complete and total peace." She replied.

"Sounds nice." He said pacing the room.

"It is." She said standing in front of him causing him to pause in his pacing. "They'll never get it, you know that right?"

"Who, what?" He asked.

"Your friends, I'm not saying their not great, that they wont stand beside you but, in the end it's up to you, it's on you to save the day. That kind of pressure, responsibility, they'll never really understand." She explained.

"So, I should shut them out like you did with your friends?" He asked.

"You got me there." She said sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked sitting next to her.

"Do you want to know what happened after Glory took Dawn?" She asked.

"Yes." He replied without hesitation.

"Fine." She said standing up and preparing to get the pensive.

"No," He said grabbing her arm. "Don't show me, just tell me."

"Why?" She asked confused.

"Why not?" He countered. She sighed sinking back down onto the bed. She laid back her feet dangling off the edge of the bed as she stared up at the ceiling. He followed her lead.

"I lost it." She began quietly. "I mean literally lost it. I went cationic. I couldn't handle it, that I'd failed her...

_GILES: If my calculations are right. But Buffy-  
BUFFY: I don't wanna hear it. (turns away)  
GILES: I understand that-  
BUFFY: (whirls back) No! No, you don't understand. We are not talking about this.  
GILES: (jumps up from the table, yells) Yes, we bloody well are! _

_Beat. Everyone looks shocked by Giles' outburst. _

_GILES: (quieter) If Glory begins the ritual ... if we can't stop her...  
BUFFY: Come on. Say it. We're bloody well talking about this. Tell me to kill my sister.  
GILES: (whispers) She's not your sister.  
BUFFY: (pause) No. She's not. She's more than that. She's me. The monks made her out of me. I hold her ... and I feel closer to her than ... (looks down, sighs) It's not just the memories they built. It's physical. Dawn ... is a part of me. The only part that I- (stops)  
WILLOW: We'll solve this. We will. Don't have another coma, okay? _

_Buffy gives a small smile. _

_GILES: (quietly) If the ritual starts, then every living creature in this and every other dimension imaginable will suffer unbearable torment and death ... (looks up at Buffy) including Dawn.  
BUFFY: Then the last thing she'll see is me protecting her.  
GILES: (quietly) You'll fail. You'll die. We all will. (turns away from the table)  
BUFFY: I'm sorry. _

_Shot of the others looking at her as Giles walks slowly away. _

_BUFFY: I love you all ... but I'm sorry. _

"They actually wanted me to do it, to kill her and the thing that gets me is, I might have done it in the end. I think they knew that too. It's what I do, make the big sacrifices, do the dirty work so the world keeps spinning...

_BUFFY: What are you doing?  
DAWN: I have to jump. The energy.  
BUFFY: It'll kill you.  
DAWN: (softly) I know. (Buffy staring at her) Buffy, I know about the ritual. I have to stop it.  
BUFFY: No. _

_The tower shakes underneath them, making them both stumble. _

_DAWN: I have to. Look at what's happening. _

_More lightning crackles, even larger than before. Buffy looks up. A huge dragon flies out of the portal and buzzes the tower, flying away as they watch. _

_DAWN: Buffy, you have to let me go. Blood starts it, and until the blood stops flowing, it'll never stop. _

_Buffy stares at Dawn in anguish. _

_DAWN: (tearfully) You know you have to let me. It has to have the blood. _

"That's when I realized what I had to do." She paused.

"So, she didn't jump?" Harry asked confused.

"No, I did. Death is my gift." She whispered. "It was so clear, everything made sense. I've never been so sure of anything in my entire life. I knew what I had to do, what would happen and I was ok with it. I knew they'd all be ok, they might not understand, but they'd be ok. I told Dawn I loved her..."

_BUFFY VOICEOVER: Dawn, the hardest thing in this world ... is to live in it. _

_Dawn begins to cry again. _

_Cut to Buffy giving her speech to Dawn a few minutes ago.  
BUFFY: Be brave. Live. _

_Cut back to Dawn on the stairs.  
BUFFY VOICEOVER: For me. _

"And I jumped, I wont lie, it hurt. I've never felt pain like that before, but then it was over and..."

"And what?" Harry Prompted.

"And it didn't hurt anymore, I was safe, happy, for the first time in my life completely at peace,...I was in heaven." She finished quietly.

Harry was stunned he didn't know what to say to that? He had so many questions but, he knew the answers would come eventually. It had taken a lot for her to tell him that story. It was easy to walk through the memories, detached as she pointed out the important parts but, the waver in her voice as spoke let him see for the first time just how affected she really was. So, he finally decided to trust her.

"I was only a baby the first time I defeated Voldemort..." He began slowly.


	7. Mysteries

"Can I ask you something?" Harry whispered quietly as the first rays of sunlight began filtering through the window.

"What?" She asked stretching.

"You don't have to tell me, but I was wondering what was in your Letter." he replied.

"The meaning of life." She said with a small smile.

"What?" he asked confused.

"I really don't know." She replied. "Presumably it's the greatest piece of advice a person can ever get."

"So why haven't you read it?" He asked.

"I'm not ready to hear it yet." She answered honestly.

"And the vials?" He asked tentatively.

"One is a death eaters memory of the day they killed my family." She replied sadly. "The other is mine."

"Wait, what?" harry asked confused. "Your memory of what?"

"Heaven." She explained. "When I got back, it started fading. I can only really remember how I felt there now, but I figured this would happen so the day I came back, when it was still so clear I saved it."

"How did Dumbledore get it?" He asked.

"I gave it to him." She replied."I was so angry with him, with everyone...

"_What do you want from me?" She demanded. _

"_My dear, all I ever wanted was for you to be happy." He replied sadly. _

"_Well, I was for about five minutes." She replied bitterly. "I just want that back, is that so bad?" _

"_No, but you'll never be able to move on if you don't let go of the past." He replied. _

"_It's all so easy for you, isn't it." She began furiously. "You got to have a life, I didn't, I never will but, this, I got to have something. I got to die and be free finally. And they just couldn't let me have it. So here." She said trusting the vial into his hand. "You take this and look at it. You with all your wisdom and experience you, tell me how I'm supposed to move past it." _

"_What is this?" He asked curiously. _

"_It's the answer to the age old question what happens next." She replied. "Your holding heaven in your hand. A piece of it anyways, my piece." She continued as he stared at the vial stunned. "And you know what kills me, I can't even remember what's in there. I remember how it felt but, I cant see it anymore. I don't even get to keep it in my mind. That's all I have left."_

"Did he look at it?" Harry asked.

"Knowing him, probably not." Buffy said with a small smile.

"Why haven't you looked at it?" He asked.

"I'm afraid," She replied. "Afraid if I go in there, I'll never be able to get myself out." She said standing up and picking up the vial. "Curious?"

"Yes." Harry admitted.

"Too bad, there's no time for that can of worms. We still have work to do." Buffy replied. "I have to finish my promise, and you have a destiny to fulfil."

"Lucky me." Harry said rolling his eyes. "What are you going to do, after we leave?"

"Get back to my wallowing, you guys interrupted it." She replied with a shrug. "Come on, we better get breakfast ready before Ron turns on us."

Hermione studied the pair closely, she knew something had happened. They no longer simply eyed each other with vague mistrust and annoyance. They almost seemed like friends. Ron was unaware as usual, completely distracted by his new favorite thing, tv.

"Are we going to finish the last memory?" Hermione asked.

"Not tonight, I have something I need to do." Buffy replied cryptically. "You guys no the drill, lock up after me, don't let anyone in, and if I'm not back tonight, well assume the worst and get the hell out of here ASAP." She said heading out the door.

"She's such a bright and cheery girl isn't she." Ron said sarcastically.

"You wouldn't be either, if you were her." Harry replied.

"I wonder where she went?" Hermione asked glancing at Harry.

"How Should I know?" Harry replied confused.

"I don't know, you two just seemed...closer, I guess." Hermione tried to explain.

"Yeah well, we talked. We understand each other." Harry replied. "You guys really don't like her?"

"I like her, she's a bit odd but, other than that she's nice." She replied.

"You have to admit, she's a bit depressing." Ron added looking up from the tv show he was engrossed in. "But other than that she's ok."

"Why do you ask?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"I was thinking, when we left, I'd ask her to come with us." Harry admitted. "I mean it's not like she's needed here, she'd be a big help to us, and maybe it would help her to get away for a while."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Hermione asked surprised.

"I do." Harry replied.

"Ok then I guess..." Hermione began.

"Have you two lost it?" Ron interrupted. "I mean really, have you even thought about it?"

"What's your problem?" Harry asked surprised. "I thought you liked her."

"I do, but it's to dangerous for her." Ron replied.

"Dangerous? She's the slayer for gods sake." Hermione said rolling her eyes. "She's always in danger. And to be honest she knows a lot more magic than we thought. Once we leave the hell mouth her magic combined with her slayer powers will make her more than equipt to fight off any attacks we may face."

"Yeah, she stands just as good of a chance against Voldemort and his death eaters as we do, maybe better." Harry replied.

"I'm not talking about that, hell, why would she even want to help us." Ron replied.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked confused.

"I mean, She's a secret, not to protect her from the bad guys, but from the so called good ones. The ministry wants her dead, or have you forgotten. The Magical world turned their back on her a long time ago, why would she want to help us out now? And if she does, if we do win this war, then what? She'll have to spend the rest of her life on the run from the ministry, or worse. At least now they don't know she's alive and she can be left alone." Ron explained.

"I never really thought of it that way." Hermione sighed.

"I still think we should give her the choice." Harry replied. "If she doesn't want to go, we wont pressure her but..."

"But what?" Ron prompted.

"I don't know it's like I have this feeling this is what Dumbledore wanted, I mean this is why he sent us here. Not just for her to help us, but for us to help her." Harry replied.

"Buffy." Giles exclaimed surprised looking up from the text he was immersed in. "I...I didn't expect to see you here."

"I need a favor." Buffy replied.

"Of course." Giles replied instantly. "What can I do?"

"I need you to find some information for me. Anything and everything you can find, what the council knows, and I need you to not tell anyone why your looking." Buffy explained.

"Why the secrecy? Is anything wrong." Giles asked.

"I can't say." Buffy replied. "Will you do it or not?"

"Yes." Giles nodded. "What do you need information on?"

"Something called the veil of mysteries." Buffy replied as he jotted it down. "It's a portal of some sort."

"I'll get right on it." Giles began but when he looked up she was already gone.


	8. Fights

Thank you to everyone who reviewed (even though it took forever for me to update). I sort of got sidetracked by a Charmed/Buffy story I've been working on for like the past two years. If your interested it's in the Charmed section. But I'm almost finished with it and decided to go back and work on all my neglected fics. WhiteTwitch, that's a very interesting Idea. I never really thought about that. You should definitely write a fic along those lines. I'll read it.

She finally showed then the last memory. Of her on the tower, with Dawn. Although he knew what was coming he still couldn't believe it. When she pulled them out Ron and Hermione where full of questions.

"But you died, and your alive now. How?" Ron asked.

"What happened to Dawn?" Hermione asked.

"Dawn was taken away by the higher powers, she didn't belong here." Buffy replied calmly. "As to my resurrection, magic. Ancient magic my friends used to bring me back."

"But that's impossible, their muggles." Hermione exclaimed.

"Willow's studied wicca magic for a few years and with the mystical energy the hell mouth emits, she can be very powerful." Buffy explained.

"What ritual did they use?" Hermione asked. "Imagine the possibilities in the hands of real witches and wizard. What we could."

"No." Buffy said abruptly cutting her off. "There's a reason this magic was lost, and I'm not about to let anyone usher it back into fashion."

"I suppose your right, I mean what if the other side had knowledge of it." Hermione mussed.

"They probably do, but it wouldn't help them, it's designed to bring back campions of good, not evil." Buffy replied.

"So we could use it to bring back Dumbledore." Ron replied.

"No you couldn't." Buffy insisted.

"Why not?" Hermione asked.

"I wouldn't let you." Buffy said firmly.

"Oh, so it's ok to bring you back from the dead, but noone else?" Ron asked angerly.

"We all need to calm down." Harry tried to mediate.

"No, she's being selfish." Ron insisted. "I mean think about it Harry, how much better things would be if we could have Dumbledore back."

"Or even, your parents." Hermione added unsurely. "All the people the order has lost."

"There gone, you all just need to accept it." Buffy replied.

"She's right." Harry sighed a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"How can you say that?" Hermione asked. "I don't think she understands the amount of good we could do with this information."

"Understand?" Buffy laughed. "No, it's you who doesn't understand. You think you special don't you? You came from a muggle background, and maybe to your old friends, your family you are. You can wave around a little stick and make things happen. You're a part of this whole other world, but your not god. It's not up to you to decide who lives and who doesn't."

"But it's up to you?" Ron countered.

"No, I didn't kill them." Buffy shrugged.

"But you could save them." Hermione challenged.

"From what?" Buffy demanded. "Who said they need to be saved. Look, they may have not died of natural causes, but they made their choices, and died because of them, I respect that and so should you."

"It's just not Fair." Hermione huffed.

"Not fair." Buffy replied. "Life's not fair. We can't go resurrecting people, there are consequences."

"What if we're willing to face them?" Ron demanded.

"Not for you." Buffy said shaking her hand. "Look at me, do I seem ok to you? You said I was being selfish, but it's you who are. How can you even consider doing to them what my friends did to me? They didn't just say a spell bring me back and make everything like it was, they can't, you can't. They thought they were saving me, helping me, but what they really did is destroy me." She stood gazing out the window. "You want to tag along with Harry, play hero, that's your business, just remember this isn't a game, you may die, Harry may die. Noone knows how this is going to end, but for whatever it's worth, I hope you win. I've taught you everything I can. The rest you'll have to learn from experience. Tomorrow night I'll take you guys outside of town. Do you have any idea where your going?"

"Somewhat." Harry replied.

"Ok, then, get some rest." Buffy replied walking into her room. If you want to send word to your family, or anyone else, do it tonight, I'll send it for you they'll never be able to trace it back here."

"What did they do to her?" Hermione asked quietly.

"It's not my place to say." Harry sighed. "But trust me, she's right. You know I'd give anything to bring back my parents, Dumbledore, or even Sirius. But, she's right, it would be selfish."

"I don't understand, but if you say so." Ron replied unsurely.

"Did you speak to her yet, about coming with us?" Hermione asked.

"No, maybe it's best if I don't." Harry replied.

"I may not agree with her on this whole thing but, it doesn't change the fact that we could use her help." Hermione replied.


	9. Goodbye?

"What?" Buffy asked. He'd been acting oddly all morning.

"I was wondering, well we we're thinking." Harry began unsurely.

"Just spit it out." Buffy sighed.

"We want you to come with us tonight, when we leave." Harry replied.

"Really?" Buffy asked skeptically.

"Yes." Hermione replied. "We may not see eye to eye on everything, but we could use your help and..."

"And what?" Buffy asked.

"It's not like you have a whole lot going on." Ron said bluntly.

"You do realize what your asking?" Buffy asked.

"Yes, we know the risks. And we understand if you don't want to come." Harry replied.

"Not the risks to me, what about other people involved." Buffy asked.

"What do you mean." Hermione asked.

"The ministry went to a lot of trouble to get rid of me, my Grandfather, well he had always hoped one day I'd be able to rejoin the wizarding world but, I never really gave it much thought. If I turn up, there's going to be a lot of questions, about how I survived." Buffy replied.

"My dad could get into a lot of trouble." Ron realized.

"And so could you three." Buffy replied. "You'd be knowingly harboring an 'enemy' of the ministry."

"Well I don't care much what the ministry thinks these days." Harry replied.

"My dad knew what he was doing, as you so love to point out, it was his choice, now it's time for you to make yours." Ron added.

"The student becomes the master." Buffy smirked. "I have to think about it, I'll let you know." She said walking into her room.

"You guys should get your stuff together." Buffy said a few hours later. "I have something I have to do, then we can go." She said walking out the door.

"By we does she mean us, or her and us?" Ron asked confused.

"With her, who knows." Hermione sighed. "But let's get packing we don't want to forget anything."

"Why do you look at me when you say that?" Ron asked.

She paused outside the door taking a deep breath. The sun would be setting soon, she could picture the scene inside. The battle strategies being discussed, the playful banter, the annoyed looks. She lifted her hand gently but firmly knocking on the door her decision made. She heard the laughter from inside growing louder as the door swung open.

"Buffy." Xander said surprised as the room became silent. He stepped aside allowing her to pass, she knew it was a defense mechanism developed over the years of living on the hell mouth, never inviting anyone in, no matter who they were, but she also knew it wasn't just that, not anymore.

"Hey B." Faith said offering her a small smile as Willow shifted uncomfortably.

"Is everything ok?" Giles asked concerned.

"The same." She shrugged. "I just wanted to let you guys know I was taking off."

"Your leaving again?" Willow asked finally speaking up.

"That's what she does, things get rough and she bails." Xander replied.

"Oh shut up." Buffy snapped.

"Can I ask where your going?" Giles asked before another fight could erupt.

"I'm not really sure, I don't think I'll be any one place for two long." Buffy shrugged. "I need to get away from all this for a while and someone needs my help, so it sort of works out."

"For who?" Willow asked furiously.

"For all of us." Buffy sighed. "I..I can't do this anymore. I can't just snap back and be the old Buffy, I don't know how. And I think it would be easier away from here."

"Away from us." Willow snapped.

"This isn't easy for me either." Buffy began.

"Sure looks like the easy way out to me." Xander scowled. "We used to be your friends."

"I know, and I don't want to hate you anymore." Buffy screamed. "I don't want to spend every waking moment wishing I was dead. I can't sleep, every time I close my eyes I'm back up there on that tower reliving it and I feel it for a minute I feel it again and then I wake up and it's gone. It just hurts to much."

"You feel like your in heaven again." Giles asked unsurely.

"No, we never really talked about this, we've only fought." She sighed. "You just don't get it. It's not all about what you did."

"Then explain it to us." Willow asked quietly. "Please Buffy make us understand."

"Since I was eleven years old, it's been up to me." She tried to explain. "The weight of the world and all, and trust me it's heavy, even if you have super strength. I've bared it not because I had no other choice, but because it was my choice. The world picked me to be it's protector, but I choose to protect it, it took me a along time to learn that. I had to make the big choices, split second decisions that could and would forever change the world, to save it, to save others. I walked into certain death, I fought you Faith, even when it killed me to, I faced the ascension, I killed my first love, I fought the army's super demon, and I faced a hell god. But, I was never sure, I had doubts, regrets, even when we won. But that day, on that tower, I was sure. For the first time in my entire life, I understood, I knew what to do, I knew it was the right choice, I was absolutely sure. Do you have any idea what that's like? To be so completely at peace."

"You were..you were going to die." Willow said quietly.

"But, I knew that, and it was ok, I was so sure it was right, I still am." She tried to explain. "I always hear these voices in the back of my head, not crazy hearing voices. There more like memories, or something like that. When I'm in a fight, facing a battle, I hear them, Merrick, my first Watcher, Giles, my mom, you guys. It all plays a part in my decisions but that time, I didn't hear anything. I made a choice all on my own, I was going to die, but I always knew that, so did you. It's part of the slayer package. I hated it, I fought against it for so long that when I was finally facing it, it was...I don't know, I was almost relived. I was tired of fighting, I didn't want to die, but I knew I'd served my purpose, I'd been the best protector I could be, and I had an opportunity to go out on my own terms, I wasn't giving up, I wasn't suicidal, I was just free. I choose to die to save Dawn and part of me knew she couldn't live as she was forever. She wasn't real, but to me she was. She may have been a higher power trapped in our realm by Glory, as Glory was trapped by her, and part of me knew once it was over she'd get to go back, have to go back to where she'd belong. But, while she couldn't live as Dawn Summers, she could die that way. I couldn't let that happen. I made my choice and you couldn't, wouldn't except it. That's why I'm so angry, not about heaven, you couldn't have known, you thought you were saving me but, I didn't want you too. Even if I had been in a hell dimension, tortured, in pain, I choose to be there and you should have accepted it."

"But Buffy." Xander began.

"No, I don't want to fight anymore, I know you meant well but, it's how I feel and I need to go away. I need to move on and so do you." She cut him off. "I've died twice now, it's time for someone else to take over. It's time for Faith to be the slayer. I can't be the one you count on anymore, that the world counts on, I know I can't give back the abilities, I can't ignore the evil, but I don't have to be here anymore."

"What are you saying?" Faith asked unsurely.

"I've been here for one reason, to protect the hell mouth, the slayers sacred duty, but, it's yours now." She explained. "You can do it Faith. You don't need me. But someone else can use my help. I don;'t know how long it will take but, I need to see this thing through for...well I can't really explain. But it's important to me."

"Will you be coming back?" Zander asked bluntly.

"I don't know, If I make it through this, we'll see." She shrugged.

"So this is goodbye." Willow asked tearfully.

"I love you guys, you're the best friends I ever had, but I have to do this, please let me." She begged. "Please you need to let me go."

"It's not like we can stop you." Zander sighed sadly. "I just...let us know, somehow let us know after this, whatever this is, that your ok, or that your not. I'm not asking for much, a phone call, a letter, smoke signal, whatever, just don't make us spend the rest of our lives wondering."

"I will." She promised. "And if something comes up and you really need me, Faith will be able to get in touch with me." She said glancing at Giles. "She knows how to get information to me. I have to get going." She said walking out the door.

"B, wait." Faith Called causing her too pause halfway through closing it behind her. "What about your stuff?"

"It's yours now, take what you need." Buffy replied as they shared a small smile noone else realizing the significance of the statement. "I'll miss you guys." She said quietly shutting it before they could reply.

"Are you guys all set?" Buffy asked walking into the small apartment.

"All packed." Hermione replied.

"Ok, let me grab my stuff." Buffy said grabbing a small duffle bag.

"So your coming with us." Harry replied.

"Yeah, maybe I can help." She shrugged. "Or get captured and killed."

"There's that sunny positive attitude we've all come to love." Ron said shaking his head.

"You do realize once we leave the hell mouth I'm no longer honor bound to protect you." Buffy smirked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ron asked confused.

"Don't taunt the girl with super strength." Hermione laughed.

"Listen to her, she's smart." Buffy nodded.

"Right then, we should head out I guess." Harry said unsurely.

"Where are we going?" Buffy asked as they stepped into the cool night air.

"We need to find a locket." Harry replied.

"A locket, like in jewelry, color me confused." Buffy replied. "Do we know where it is?"

"No, but we know who has it, or had it." Hermione explained. "Sort of. We need to find the owner of the initials R.A.B."

"Why can't we just aperate?" Ron sighed as they continued walking.

"Because, by now everyone is looking for us, no magic unless necessary." Hermione replied firmly.

"Buffy?" Harry asked when she paused. "Is everything ok?"

"It's fine." She said silently reading the sign 'Now Leaving Sunnydale, come back real soon.' giving the sign one last glance as she stepped over the line leaving for what may be the last time the small town that had become her prison, and yet at the same time her sanctuary, not knowing exactly what would happen next.


	10. New Friends and old Loves

Thanks for the reviews, I know I took forever to update, sorry I'll try and be better. To answer the question of Buffy's age when she was called and got her Hogwarts letter, if you read the explanation before the first chapter I explained I messed with the Buffy time line making the Slayer be called at eleven. As for the institution thing, I may mention it later in the story but, for the now I'm going to go with it happened like in the show, but she hasn't mentioned it to the HP guys. I may change my mind, we'll see.

"So there's a bus station two miles ahead." Buffy said breaking the silence. "Where do we want to go?"

"Huh?" Harry asked tiredly.

"Bus, you know mode of transportation." Buffy replied. "Or we can just walk wherever you want to go."

"I vote for the bus." Ron said with a hint of excitement.

"If we go to LA, it'll be easier to disappear in a big city, you know." Buffy explained. "Plus I know a guy who owns a hotel."

"Sleep would be lovely." Hermione yawned they'd been walking all night.

"Ok." Harry agreed as the station came into view.

"So a bus is like a car right?" Ron asked interested.

"Sort of, a big car." Buffy shrugged. "Why don't I go get us some tickets." She offered.

"I'll go with you." Harry replied as Ron and Hermione flopped tiredly onto the cold metal bench.

"Why don't I buy two and you buy two." Buffy began scanning the small crowd. "I mean if the ministry's looking for you."

"They'll be looking for a British kid buying three tickets." Harry replied.

"Yup, and even if they connect you to here buying four makes them aware you have someone else with you." Buffy replied.

"Clever." Harry smiled.

"Disappearing's my thing." She shrugged. "You go ahead, I'll meet you outside in a few." She said as they parted ways.

"Your not so bad at the disappearing stuff yourself." Buffy said as she casually took a seat next to him as the bus made another stop.

"Yes well, all the planning in the world will never convince anyone those two aren't together." He grinned glancing back at the arguing couple sitting in the rear of the bus.

"We're definitely going to have to work on that." Buffy smiled. "So James, tell me about yourself."

"James?" Harry asked confused.

"Ya know, Bond, James Bond. British super spy." Buffy laughed. "It's a compliment."

"It's my father's name." Harry replied.

"Oh, I'm guessing just the James, because naming a British kid James Bond just seems cruel." She replied.

"From what I know about him, he probably would have loved it." He shrugged. "He would love to be me."

"I don't understand." She said confused.

"The attention, the 'fans', getting to be the hero." He sighed.

"I doubt that." She shrugged.

"You don't know him." He replied.

"Neither do you." She countered. "Sorry. I just mean, some people think they would, I mean from the outside looking in, it's a good gig. But noone who's experienced it wants it, likes it."

"Faith did." Harry shot back.

"Yeah and look how that turned out." Buffy replied sadly. "But she didn't really get the experience. She was never 'the one' you know. I mean Kendra was one extreme, the all business, no fun, it's my duty girl, and faith the other, the party, it all fun type, she liked the idea of playing the hero. But she never really had to take it on, until now. She has to go it alone now and she's terrified."

"Aren't you worried about leaving her I mean what if." He began.

"What if the world ends?" She cut him off with a small smile. "I didn't choose Faith, or Kendra, or even you to take on the role. The universe or whatever destiny crap it is that chooses did. It's up to her to succeed or fail now. She'll be ok, I have a good feeling about her. She's ready for it now, she may not have been before but, she is now."

"Do you think that's why you didn't stay dead?" Harry asked. "I mean why the universe didn't let you die?"

"Maybe." She shrugged. "I mean do I think if I had died that day I faced the master that the world would have ended. Not really, I mean it kept spinning long before I came along and will keep doing so long after I'm gone. I wont say I haven't helped it along but, if it wasn't me it would be another girl in my place. I think that was my biggest problem dealing with the arrival of Kendra and Faith. It was never that I didn't want to share the glory, the spot light, they could have it but, it was the fact that it made me seem so dispensable. It's one thing to know that after you die someone else is going to pick up where you left off but, it's another to have to watch them start doing it before your gone. To be honest I was jealous of them."

"Why?" He asked confused.

"Because I just want to be normal, and no matter what I do, I just can't." She replied.

"Just your average girl next door who saves the world with her super powers, that makes sense." He smirked.

"I'm not just another slayer, I'm special, and part of me resents it." She shrugged.

"I actually can relate." Harry nodded. "I mean I know I'm different I'm a wizard, but I'm not even just another wizard."

"Yup." Buffy replied. "I could never be just another witch because I was a potential. I could never be just another slayer because I was a witch, but I thought maybe, just maybe if I didn't use magic, if noone knew I could pretend to be. Then I had to go and die and not stay dead. I'm the first and only slayer to have ever died and not stayed dead. I just had to go and be special, but the funny thing is it wasn't even me. If Xander hadn't found me, if he hadn't given me CPR I wouldn't be."

"If my mother hadn't sacrificed herself for me I would have never defeated Voldemort the first time." Harry replied softly.

"Being special sucks." Buffy nodded. "Especially when you had little to do with it. But I still doubt your father would have wanted this for himself, or you."

"And why is that?" Harry asked.

"It's to lonely." She replied simply. "You like comic books?" He nodded for her to continue. "Look at any super hero, in the end they wind up alone, wether they lose they're loved ones to a nemesis, or they walk away to keep them safe, they always wind up alone."

"Clark marry's Lois." Harry countered. "Peter Parker get's Mary Jane. Scott Summers' has Jean Grey and."

"Don't get me started on Lois Lane and Mary Jane." Buffy cut him off.

"What's wrong with them?" Harry asked.

"Look at them, they fall for the hero, not for the men." She explained. "Lois loves superman and accepts that Clark is part of him, same with MJ and Spiderman. Jean Grey has this whole little side thing with Wolverine. Don't get me wrong, I love X-men but they flip flop to much, between couples, sides and everything, it's impossible to keep up. Now Gwen Stacy is a girl I can get behind. She Loved Peter, not Spiderman, and she died because of it."

"So from your perspective, no super hero can have a relationship, they'll all wind up alone." Harry asked. "Granted all your arguments are coming from a fictional source."

"True, but even you have to admit the relationships are doomed. They're unrealistic. Would you want to be with a girl who loved you first for being the boy who lived, then learned to love Harry?" She asked.

"I don't know." Harry shrugged. "But I can see your point, if our lives where a comic book we'd be doomed to solitude."

"Not necessarily." Buffy replied.

"Oh, there's a comic book relationship your actually getting behind." Harry asked amused.

"Yup, Batman and Robin." She smirked.

"Robin dies." He countered.

"Not the original." She shrugged. "Dick Grayson went on to be Nightwing. Jason Todd was murdered by the Joker."

"But they still parted ways." Harry pointed out.

"Sort of but, they always replace him." Buffy explained. "There's always a Robin and he ends up being just like Dick. It's a relationship that works, that they always come back to."

"So your going to adopt a child and make them your sidekick." Harry smirked.

"No, Dick found Bruce not the other way around." She laughed. "I wouldn't do that to some poor kid anyways. It's not about the father son type thing it's more two people working together because they understand each other. They make sense. But then again I don't really know if I should get a sidekick, it would detract from my whole mysterious loner vibe."

"That it would." Harry grinned.

"Ok, not to change the subject, but I think They killed each other." Buffy whispered dramatically.

"They have been awfully quiet, but then again they could just be snogging." Harry grinned.

"Oh, a Britsism I know." Buffy smiled. "Making out right?"

"Right." Harry laughed.

"We're both wrong." She said glancing at the back of the bus. "They're Sleeping."

"It has been a long day." Harry yawned.

"Go ahead and sleep, I can entertain myself, I'll wake you before we get there." She said moving back to her seat.

"Are we ever going to stop walking?' Ron grumbled. Since being awoken from their bus ride an hour ago they'd been walking quietly through quiet streets.

"We're almost there." Buffy replied as the building came into view.

"Thank god, I can't wait to crawl into an actual bed." Hermione sighed. The trio watched unsurely as Buffy was embraced by the weird green demon who answered the door.

"How you doing Kido?" Lorne asked.

"Fine." Buffy shrugged. "These are some friends of mine, we need a place to crash."

"You know your always welcome here." Lorne replied ushering them inside. "The boss should be back soon, suns almost up."

"How have things been around here?" Buffy asked.

"Quiet." Lorne replied.

"That's what I was afraid of." Buffy sighed. "I need a favor."

"Anything." Lorne replied.

"Can we kind of keep us being here a secret?" Buffy asked. "Just until we leave, it's important, that the gang not know about them."

"If that's what you want, I wont tell a soul." He replied. "I'll set you up on the fifth floor, noone goes up there."

"It's ok." Buffy said moving from the window and letting the heavy curtain fall back into place. "Go back to sleep." She urged the three teens that had been jolted awake by the firm knocking on the doorway.

"Are you sure it's safe." Hermione began worriedly as Buffy moved to open the door.

"It's fine, we're perfectly safe." Buffy assured them.

"But that Lorne fellow said he wouldn't be up for another few hours." Harry said glancing at his watch.

"It's not Lorne." She replied.

"He told, I knew we shouldn't have trusted him, he's a demon.." Ron said nervously.

"He didn't tell, calm down." Buffy said shaking her head as she opened the door.

"Buffy?" He asked unsurely standing in the doorway. "Is it really you?' He asked hopefully.

"It's really me Angel." She said with a small smile as he swept her into his arms.


	11. Angry

"But how?..I mean...I was...and you were...I went to your funeral." Angel said unsurely.

"Oh, was it nice?" Buffy asked quietly.

"Was it nice?" Angel growled. "What the hell is going on?"

"They didn't tell you?" Buffy asked surprised.

"What did they do?" Angel demanded.

"They brought me back." Buffy shrugged.

"Do they have any idea how stupid that was?" Angel asked stunned. "What if...I can't believe Giles would even consider..."

"It wasn't him." Buffy cut him off. "And he's already yelled at them. I was sure they would have at least called you."

"Are you ok?" Angel asked worriedly.

"No." Buffy admitted. "These are..." She began waving at the trio behind her. "People you should forget you ever saw."

"Ok." Angel nodded understandingly.

"That's it?" Ron asked unsurely.

"I trust Buffy's judgement." Angel replied. "Will you be staying long?"

"Were leaving tonight." Buffy explained. "I wanted to come here first to...to see you." She admitted. "When you never came..."

"If I had any idea." Angel began.

"I know." She sighed cutting him off. "I also need a favor."

"Anything." Angel nodded.

"Were looking for a locket." she explained. "Do you think you could do a little recon."

"I know just the place." Angel grinned. "You wanna join?"

"Could be fun." Buffy shrugged bitting back a smile of her own.

"Alright, I better head down before the gang gets suspicious." Angel nodded. "I'll be back for you in few hours."

"We'll be here." Buffy replied.

"That was Angel? The Angel?" Ron asked stunned.

"In the un dead flesh." Buffy quipped.

"Do you think it was a good idea to tell him about the locket?" Hermione asked unsurely.

"Angel wouldn't betray me." Buffy assured them. "Angelus, maybe, but not Angel. Anyways, all he knows is that were looking for it, from what you told me, Voldywort probably already knows that too so what's the big?"

"Do you really think he'll be able to help us find it?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Yeah, you see he sort of deals with this law firm, Wolfram & Hart. It's basically evil incorporated." Buffy explained. "If bads happening they're in on it. So I figure they could have the locket and if they don't they're probably looking for it or know where to look."

"Let's hope so." Harry nodded watching her carefully. She'd been different ever since seeing Angel.

"So how are you really?" Angel asked as they walked the quiet streets.

"Alive." She replied. "You?"

"Still dead." He said with a small smile.

"I was in heaven." She admitted causing him to stop in his tracks.

"Do...do they know?" He asked stunned.

"I didn't say anything at first and then it all just sort of came out...it wasn't pretty." She sighed. "I'm so angry, and not even at them, not really."

"Just at the world in general?" He asked.

"Yeah, does that make sense?" She asked.

"Does to me." He nodded.

"They don't know about my new friends, well their not exactly my friends..." she began unsurely.

"Never saw them." He smiled.

"Thanks." She replied. "I think it might be good for us all, you know some time apart. I just couldn't be there anymore."

"You could have come here." He replied. "Your always welcome here."

"Wouldn't that sort of defeat the purpose of you moving away to avoid me?" She asked bitterly.

"I still love you." He replied hurt. "You know why I had to leave."

"No, I don't." She replied getting angry. "I know what you said, I know what happened, but I don't have to pretend I understand, or agree. You decided and walked away, I didn't get vote. Your reasons for doing it haven't gone away, so there's no point talking about it is there?"

"I don't want to fight with you." He sighed.

"Then don't." She shrugged. "I'm not having the best year, and I don't want to take it out on you so, let's just not talk about this now."

"Then when are we going to talk about it?" He asked.

"Is there really a point? Nothings changed." She sighed.

"Things have changed." He began. "Everything changed when you died."

"That's just it." She laughed bitterly. "Nothing really did. Everything's the same, except me. Come on, it's time to work." She said as they made it to the front of the building. "So do we sneak around the back?"

"You go ahead." He nodded. "They get worried if I don't barge through the front every so often." He explained with a small smile.


	12. recon misson

Thanks for all the reviews. As for how Harry knew her name even though it wasn't in His letter From Dumbledore, it was on the front of hers. About pairings, I'm not entirely sure yet but other than Ron/Hermione I didn't really have a planned pairing for Buffy going in so I've decided after much debate over the pairings in my other BTVS/HP story to let you all decide.

Let me know who you want Buffy paired with and whoever gets the most votes, I'll work it in somehow. You can Choose anyone from either the BTVS or HP universe (within reason, like no Voldemort or Giles, or anything too weird like that) Keep in mind that I'm following the books up to OTP so if you pick someone who's already in a relationship you may force me to make Buffy a home wrecker, but if that's what you want to see...So let me know.

"M..Mr...Angel." the nervous receptionist stuttered as he strolled into the lobby smiling. "We have a code red in the main lobby." She said pushing a button on her phone.

"Good evening, Are Lilah and Lindsey in?" Angel asked causally leaning against her desk.

"I..I believe so." She replied nervously.

"Good, I want to introduce her to a friend." Angel smirked as the guards came rushing in. "Excuse me please." He smiled spinning around as they approached.

Up Stairs:

"What the hell is going on?" Holland Demanded turning to his two protegees furiously.

"Angel has infiltrated the premisses again." Lindsey explained.

"How?!" Holland demanded.

"The front door it seems." Lilah replied.

"Did I not tell you how important tonight is!?" Holland demanded slamming his fist down on his desk. "I want this dealt with! NOW!"

"Security is." Lilah began.

"We're on it." Lindsey cut her off dragging her out of the office.

"Guys, violence never solves anything." Angel grinned ducking a bullet. "But it is fun." He laughed grabbing the guard closest to him and throwing him across the room.

"Guns, are they really that stupid?" Lilah groaned watching the fight.

"Call in back up!" Lindsey snapped at a nearby secretary. "Tell them to do whatever they have to to get him out of here!"

"Evil Lawyers, isn't that sort of an oxymoron?" Buffy asked walking onto the office.

"Who the hell are you?" Holland Demanded. "How did you get in here?"

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you." Buffy replied cooly seeing his hand reach for his phone. "I warned you." she shrugged as he jumped from his chair as a dagger landed where his hand had just been. "I hear you guys are the big bad around here."

"We're a respectable." He began indignantly.

"Look, I could care less." She shrugged pulling her dagger from his desk. "Far as I'm concerned your Angel's problem, I have enough of my own."

"So your with the vampire." he said cautiously watching her stalk across the room towards him.

"Depends on how you define with." she replied backing him into the wall. "Now you see I've got this problem, well it could be your problem, depending on how you want to play this." She began staring him down menacingly. "I've got about six years or so of pent up rage, that I'd love to work off, seeing as it's just you and me here...well I don't think I need to paint you a picture but..."

"What do you want?" Holland asked weakly as she began applying pressure to his throat with her forearm.

"Just some info on another big bad." She replied calmly. "Tell me what I want to know and you'll be able to walk out of here, don't tell me and well, maybe you'll be able to walk again...someday."

"Kill me then." He dared.

"Oh, I can't kill you." She smirked. "Your human. Granted not a good human. I doubt anyone would really miss you but...I'm the good guy, I don't kill."

"Then I guess we have nothing left to say here." He began flailing as she cut off his air supply.

"Death isn't so bad,." She began easing off the pressure looking down at him as he collapsed coughing on the floor. "I speak from experience. Life can be rough though. Want to find out how rough?"

"What do you want to know?" he asked fearfully.

"Now you see, I knew we could work this out civilly." She grinned. "I'm looking for a locket, one that looks like this one." She said dangling a heavy gold chain from her fingers. "You wouldn't happen to know where I could find it?"

"I...We aren't a pawn shop." he said with more courage than he possessed.

"Wrong answer." she taking a menacing step forward.

"Ok, Ok." He said defeatedly. "I may have some knowledge of it, but were already in the process of making a sale."

"So tell them you got a better offer." She replied calmly.

"And what would that be?" He asked unsurely.

"I can't hear myself think over your screaming." She sighed.

"I'm not." he began unsurely.

"Oops, my bad." She smirked. "Got ahead of myself." She explained roughly picking him up off the floor and slamming him onto his desk. "Nice paperweight." She grinned picking up the heavy silver ball and slamming in onto his kneecap, the sickening sound of bone chattering filled the room followed by his screams of agony. "See I knew you'd be loud." She said shaking her head. "Now we can do this all night and then I can move on to your bosses, who I'm guessing aint all human, so I can kill them. Then you can explain to the ones I don't kill how you let the slayer run amuck in your offices." She began as his screams turned to whimpers.

"Sl..slayer." He stuttered through his pain.

"Buffy Summers, haven't heard of me?" She asked with mock hurt.

"But your dead." he insisted.

"Yeah, I get that a lot." She shrugged.


	13. Old Flames still burn

The vote came down to three guys Angel, Harry and, Draco. Harry won. I'm not really sure how it's going to turn out but, I wrote the first half of this chapter before I even asked for the vote. I think it's going to end up being a triangle of sorts with Buffy Harry and Angel. There will defiantly be Harry/Buffy cause he won the vote but I'm not sure who she'll wind up with at the end. I wasn't really planning a pairing so we'll see how it goes. She'll wind up with one of them or alone, or dead...she'll wind up somewhere.

"I leave you alone for five minutes." Buffy said shaking her head as she stood on the staircase.

"I got bored." Angel shrugged dodging a punch and landing one of his own.

"Who are you?" Lindsey demand spinning around to face her.

"I really think I should be insulted." Buffy began amused. "I mean here you are the top evil of all evil law firms and noone here knows who I am. Duck!" She ordered causing Angel to drop to the ground narrowly missing the stake that whizzed past his head lodging into the heart of the Vamp behind him. "Buff, The Vampire slayer, and you are?" Buffy grinned holding out her hand.

"I told your lovely Receptionist I had a friend to introduce to you." Angel smirked at their shocked faces. "You all set?"

"I'm good, as soon as your done having fun we can bail." Buffy replied casually examining her nails. "Unless you want a hand?"

"It has been a while since we tag teamed it." Angel grinned. "How about it, for old time sake."

"You know I'm a sucker for a good fight." Buffy smiled flipping over the railing and landing neatly on her feet next to Angel.

"Well the definitely know who you are now." Angel smirked as they walked through the sewers. "So you got what you needed?"

"Right here." Buffy nodded patting her pocket.

"I missed this." Angel sighed coming to a stop.

"Walking through the sewers, yeah I can see how you would." Buffy offered jokingly.

"You know what I mean." He said ringing a hand up to cup her face. "Us, you me, the fight. I..." He said hesitantly leaning closer.

She knew he could feel the soft warmth of her breath against his lips as surely as she felt the absence of his. His cold touch sending warm shivers down her spine. It was easy, too easy to just lean a fraction of an inch closer, for their lips to meet and to forget everything that had happened.

She knew she'd feel for any other man the way she did for him. The gentle but firm pressure of his lips dancing over hers only validated that in her mind. He was everything she ever hoped for, everything she wanted, everything she couldn't have. She gave into the kiss pushing all conscious thought from her head. But as always as soon as she gave in he pulled away.

"I'm sorry...we can't." he sighed taking a step back.

"You can't keep doing this to me." She said calmly but he could see the inner turmoil in her eyes, the pain, the hurt, the anger. "You dumped me, you left."

"It wasn't because I didn't love you." he began quietly.

"It doesn't really matter why, you left, you said you wanted me to find someone else, how am I supposed to do that when every time we see each other it ends up like this?" She asked brokenly.

"You can't keep doing this, you have to stop playing with me, with my emotions. You either want to be with me or you don't, you need to decide."

"You know it's more complicated than that." He growled frustrated.

"No it's not, I love you Angel, but one day there will be someone else, and it'll be to late." She said blinking back her tears.

"Buffy I..." He trailed off unsurely.

"That's what I thought." She sighed. "We should head back, the sun will up soon." She said pushing past him as she navigated the dark path.

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"Bloody Hell!" Ron cried jolted awake as the door slammed the could echoing in the small room.

"Buffy?" Harry said tiredly sitting up in bed as he reached for his glasses.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." Buffy apologized distractedly.

"Is everything alright?" Hermione asked concerned as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Yup, here's your locket." She said tossing it to Harry who easily caught it with one hand.

"You actually found it?" Harry said staring down at it stunned.

"No big." Buffy shrugged. "But um, the people I got it from were in the process of selling it to that Voldy guy so I think it's best we leave before he and his crew get here."

"Hey Sweet pea." Lorne said cracking the door open. "The boss said you'd be leaving soon, so I thought you might want something to eat first." he said nodding to the tray in his hand.

"Thanks Lorne." Buffy said with a distracted smile.

"You ok?" he asked concerned. "We're top notch with the first aid here."

"I'm fine." Buffy assured him. "Stop looking at me like that, I'm not going to burst into song anytime soon."

"Well if you decide to, I'm always willing to lend an ear." He smiled as he left.

"Eat up." Buffy ordered once they were alone. "Where are we headed next?" She asked turning to Harry.

"I um...where do you think?" Harry asked unsurely.

"Don't look at me, this is your deal, I'm just along to do the heavy lifting and such." She replied.

"If Voldemort's headed here maybe we should head back to England." Hermione spoke up ignoring Ron's shudder at his name. "With all the magic going on around here we should be safe to apparate (Spelling????)."

"Problem." Buffy spoke up. "I don't know how to and from what I know about it, it's not something that you just wing it."

"No, but you can go with one of us in a side along apparition." Hermione explained. "Harry's done it before."

"Ok then." Buffy nodded turning to Harry. "But just so you know if you happen to cause parts of my body to become separated, I'll return the favor."

"No pressure." Harry chuckled nervously taking her hand. "So um...where in England are we going?"

"Oh right." Hermione said thinking.

"Kings Cross." Ron offered. "We can blend in with the muggle crowd."

"That's brilliant." Hermione smiled.

"Yeah well, you don't have to sound so shocked." Ron said shaking his head.

"Ok, I guess the best place would be the bathrooms." Hermione replied unsurely. "It shouldn't be to busy at this time of night."

"Alright then, we'll go first." Harry said disappearing with a pop.


	14. Taking Off

"Buffy." The door Flung open and Angle walked in just in time to see Buffy and Harry vanish.

"You just missed her mate." Ron explained as he and Hermione watched the vampire carefully.

"Story of my life." He said bitterly staring at the spot where she'd just stood holding Harry's hand. He turned walking out of the room without another word.

"That was odd." Hermione commented lamely breaking the silence. "Well see you." She said disappearing with a pop followed quickly by Ron.

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"You can stop glaring at me, your attracting attention." Harry said annoyed. "There they are." he said slightly relived to spot his two friends making their way over.

"Any trouble?" Hermione asked glad to see them both in one piece.

"No." Harry began pausing at Buffy's annoyed snort.

"Yeah none at all unless you count the fact that he choose to have us reappear in a mens room which first of all, let me just say eww. Do you guys actually aim at all or just pee right on the floor?" Buffy began as she folded her arms across her chest and turned to glare at Harry. "Then to make things better we got in trouble."

"You were seen?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"We were walking out of the stall when a guard walked in and he thought..." Harry trailed of turning red.

"He thought what?" Ron asked grinning as he already had a good idea but wanted to tease his best friend.

"Thought we were shagging in the stall." Harry muttered bright red. "He told us off, and yelled at Buffy for being in the men's room."

"Yeah it was hilarious." Buffy said rolling her eyes. "So where are we going now?"

"I have an idea, follow me." Hermione said leading them into an empty corner of the station. "Everyone hold on tight."

"Hey wait." Buffy said unsurely. "Are we doing the side along thing again cause you said only Harry had done it."

"I think we should be ok, were not going to far." Hermione explained. "I wasn't too sure about traveling across the Atlantic with passengers but I can mange this."

"Ok then." Buffy shrugged taking her hand.

"What now glaring or threats?" Harry asked amused as he and Ron took hold of Hermione and Buffy's free hands.

"Now this is what I call camping." Buffy grinned at the inside of the magical tent.

"We really should figure out how to destroy the Horcruxes." Hermione began unpacking many books from her small bag.

"The sooner we get rid of that thing the better." Buffy shuddered as Harry pulled the locket out of his pocket. "I've seen and felt a lot of badness in my time but the evil mojo that things given off gives me the creeps."

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"Giles." Willow said looking up from the heavy text she was immersed in. "I think I may have something."

"What does it say?" Giles asked sighing as he took off his glasses and began cleaning them. It had been a long few days of heavy research.

"The Veil has existed long before the ministry." Willow began. "What ministry I'm not sure."

"Neither am I." Giles replied though she didn't really believe him. "What else does it say?"

"It doesn't belong to their magic but is protected by it." Willow finished. "I'm not sure what it means."

"I may have a few ideas." Giles began pensively. "Anything else?"

"No, but it made me think of this portal I read about a few months ago." Willow replied unsurely. "It's supposed to be this ancient mystical gateway of enlightenment but it was corrupted." She explained. "Noone knows what happened to it."

"Do you still have the book?" Giles asked curiously.

"Yeah, at home." Willow nodded. "Want me to go get it?"

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"My Brain hurts." Buffy groaned slamming her book shut. "Can't I just step on it real hard?" She asked hopefully.

"Buffy I already explained." Hermione began.

"We know." Ron cut her off before she could launch into the lecture yet again.

"Volyball guy probably knows we stole his necklace by now, or at least that I have." Buffy said changing the subject as she glanced at her watch.

"Which means he'll be after the rest of the Horcruxes to protect them." Harry sighed closing his own book.

"How many are there?" Buffy asked curiously.

"Dumbledore believed he split his soul into seven pieces." Harry explained. "Including the Locket we have three, two that have been destroyed." He continued briefly explaining the Diary and ring. "We think two of the missing pieces are related to the school founders like the ring, Dumbledore didn't figure he found anything of Gryffindor's."

"So that makes five." Buffy nodded. "The other two?"

"One is his pet snake, the other piece is still in him." Harry sighed. "We wont get near either of those till the final battle."

"Ok then, we need to find two more creepy soul holders and then we kick ass." Buffy said stretching. "Any clues on what items they are?"

"Helga Hufflepuff's cup and Rowinia Ravenclaw's Diadem." Hermione replied.

"You said the sword destroyed the other one, the ring." Buffy asked thinking.

"Yes Gryffindor's sword is a very powerful magical item." Hermione began preparing to recite it's entire history.

"Though I doubt we'll be able to get our hands on it, or a basilic fang." Harry cut her off before she could start.

"No, probably not." Buffy agreed. "But what if I had another very powerful magic weapon?"

"Like what?" Harry asked curiously.

"Well you see I have this nifty hammer." Buffy grinned.


	15. Chapter 15

Hey Guys,

I can't tell you where I am cause it wouldn't be safe for you to know. I wanted to let you all know that I'm ok. I hope your all safe, well as safe as you can be in Sunnyhell. Faith I was wondering if you could send me Oalf's hammer, it may be vital for what I'm doing.

Take Care,

Buffy.

"Take this to Faith." Buffy said Gently stroking Fawkes's feather's. "Wait for her reply please." She instructed as the phoenix took off.

"So now we wait I guess." Hermione sighed gathering up her books.

"We should probably move though." Harry commented. "Staying in one place to long isn't a good idea even with all our wards."

"Good idea." Hermione nodded. "We should wait till it get's dark though, just in case."

"What are we going to do till then?" Ron asked boredly his scowl turning to a grin as Hermione pulled a chess set out of her small bag handing it to the boys.

"I thought maybe we could study some." Hermione explained a she took a few more books out of her bag.

"Study." Ron blanched staring at her stunned as he set up the board between him and Harry.

"Buffy doesn't know nearly as much magic as we do..I mean as a student her age should...I don't mean anything by it." Hermione rambled.

"No, your right." Buffy waved off her apology. "I mean when Grandpa visited he mainly taught me stuff to help with slaying. He gave me some books but it was hard with the hell mouth messing with magic to really learn anything."

"When's your birthday?" Harry asked suddenly.

"Um in two weeks why?" Buffy asked confused. "Gonna get me a present?" she teased.

"She can't do any spells until then." Harry Explained.

"Oh he's right." Hermione nodded. "She's still has the trace on her probably."

"The what now?" Buffy asked confused.

"The trace." Ron explained loving for once that he knew what was going on. "It's put on all underage witches and wizard. It allows the ministry to monitor their magic. It only goes away when you turn seventeen."

"Would she have it though, I didn't get it until my letter arrived, she's been off the radar for years." Hermione mused.

"She was born into a wizarding family." Ron explained. "It would have been placed at birth. Even Dumbledore couldn't have taken it off. The hell mouth has been protecting her from the ministry being able to monitor her magic probably. But now that she's left they'll be able to sense her if she does any magic."

"Which will lead them to us." Harry nodded.

"Ok, to be safe then no magic for me." Buffy shrugged.

"We can still read up, on the theories so your ready to begin training when your birthday comes." Hermione replied not willing to be deterred from schoolwork.

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"Are you sure?" Giles asked bewildered.

"No, of course not." Willow shrugged. "But if I am right...This could be..."

"Huge." Tara finished for her. "What do you want with the portal?" She asked almost accusingly.

"Nothing." Giles replied.

"Nothing then why have we been..." Willow began confused.

"This is for Buffy isn't it?" Tara asked realizing.

"She asked me for information." Giles admitted reluctantly. "I don't know what her reasons are."

"Well I highly doubt Buffy wants to go all evil and take over the world or anything." Tara replied softly.

"No of course not." Willow said speaking up for her estranged best friend. "I mean Buffy hasn't been herself...but she would never."

"We need to be sure of our information before we take it to her anyways." Giles sighed cleaning his glasses. "I'm going to head over to the magic shop, I think I have a few books that could be of some use to us." He said leaving the two girls alone.

"You ok?" Tara asked concerned.

"Yes and no." Willow sighed. "You know about Buffy's ex, Angel right?"

"The Vampire." Tara nodded. "You resouled him, it was your first real act of magic."

"Yeah, I did." Willow smiled sadly. "Just in time for Buffy to have to kill him, to save the world."

"Oh." Tara replied unsurely.

"Afterwards she just took off." Willow continued as if she hadn't spoken. "We didn't know if the spell worked, or what had happened to her, or Angel. I can't even imagine if it had been me, if I had to... we were so angry at her when she came back, for abandoning us like that. We didn't know at the time that...even after we found out...I owe her, we owe her. She saves the world, and noone notices."

"We notice." Tara replied softly.

"It's not enough." Willow insisted. "She died, for Dawn, for us. Nothing changed. The world kept spinning because of her and noone noticed but us. Noone mourned her but us. It isn't enough."

"Maybe it is, for her." Tara offered unsurely.

"That's my point." Willow nodded. "I'm beginning to get why she's so upset. How selfish we've been. We..I didn't bring her back for her, we did it for us. Do you think she'll ever forgive me?"

"I think she's having a tough time adjusting but, she will." Tara nodded. "In the mean time all we can do is help, in any way we can."

"Xander doesn't think she's ever coming back." Willow admitted quietly.

"Really?" Tara asked surprised.

"That's what he says." Willow sighed. "But I know him, he's just afraid to hope she will. To tell the truth, so am I."


	16. A Girl's Job

"Yeah, yeah I'm hurrying." Faith said to the impatient phoenix. "I still don't see how your gonna take this anywhere when I can barely lift the damn thing." She grumbled heaving the hammer onto the desk by the window. 

B,

I could barely lift the damn thing I don't know how you expect the bird to take it anywhere but hey, you're the boss. The gang all says hey and are glad your safe. We got an interesting visit from Angel, wasn't to happy but is he ever? Giles said to tell you he's making progress, he said you'd know what he meant though I'm pretty sure noone ever knows what he's talking about. Things have been quiet around here but I'll let you know if anything major goes down. 

Try not to die,

Faith. 

"Try not to die?" Hermione said not used to Faith's brand of humor. 

"Well she does tend to do it a lot." Ron shrugged. 

"It doesn't look very heavy." Harry commented as the trio stared at the large hammer Fawkes had dropped with a thud in the middle of the tent. 

"Then pick it up." Buffy dared with a grin. 

"Fine." Harry said not willing to back down from the challenge as he walked over to it grasping the handle firmly. 

"Any time you want." Buffy laughed as he struggled unable to budge the weapon. Ron took a turn not being able to move it at all either. Then he and Harry worked together still unable to make any progress. 

"Never send a man to do a woman's job." Buffy smirked pushing past them and easily lifting it with one hand much to their amazement. 

"Wicked." Ron grinned. 

"Time to do what I do best, smash things." Buffy said excitedly as Hermione unclasped the necklace from around her neck. 

"Maybe we should do this outside, it could be messy." Hermione advised leading them outside. 

"I can't wait to get rid of that thing." Ron said looking at it distastefully as Hermione placed it on a boulder. 

"Let's just hope this works." Buffy said rasing the hammer over her head and bringing it down with a loud bang. They all took a step back as a high pitched scream echoed through the empty Forrest.

"Well?" Ron coughed waving the dust away as Hermione stepped forward to sift through the crumbled boulder. 

"Definitely broken." Hermione smiled holding up the mangled locket. 

"Let me see." Harry asked taking it from her. "I don't feel him anymore." He grinned. "We did it." 

"One down two more to go." Buffy nodded. "Do you think he knows?" 

"I have no idea." Harry admitted. "Dumbledore said it was to many splits for him to feel it but he must know what were up too." 

"Not necessarily." Hermione spoke up. 

"How do you figure that?" Ron asked confused. 

"He knows the locket was taken by the slayer." Hermione explained. "Not us. He couldn't know about Buffy being Dumbledore's daughter or he'd have gone after her long ago." 

"Maybe not, he was afraid of Dumbledore." Harry reminded him. 

"And what better way to keep him in line so to speak than to use his granddaughter." Hermione replied. 

"Killing her would only piss him off." Ron insisted. 

"She doesn't mean killing me." Buffy sighed. "She means getting me to fight on his side." 

"But you'd never." Harry began. "You're the slayer, your good." 

"So is Faith." Buffy shrugged. "We may be super but, were still just human. I'd like to think I'd tell him where to shove it but, who knows. If he showed up at the right time, with the right incentive... This could be good though, having him waste his time looking for me." 

"What about your friends?" Hermione asked unsurely. 

"He's too smart to go to the hell mouth alone ironically it will protect them." She explained. "Anyways I pity the death eater that goes there looking for trouble cause Faith will hand them their ass on a platter." 

"And What about Angel?" Harry asked quietly. 

"He can take care of himself." Buffy replied.

"I hate to bring this up but looking for you could lead him right to us." Ron interjected. 

"He's already looking for us and we'll be careful." Hermione insisted. 

"If he gets close we could always split up and I can lead him in the opposite direction." Buffy added. 

"Let's worry about that when the time comes." Harry said uncomfortably not liking the thought of Buffy on her own against Voldemort. "We need to move destroying the locket could have released more magic than we thought." 

"What now?" Buffy asked as they prepared to leave. "Cup or Dia...thingy?" 


	17. Birthdays

"Happy Birthday Buffy." Hermione greeted her as she woke up coming to the small table they had set up in the tent.

"Thank you." Buffy smiled at her glancing down at the lopsided and slightly orange tinged cake that sat in the middle of the table. "This looks..."

"Odd." Ron offered earning a glare from Hermione.

"It isn't as if it was easy to get a hold of all the ingredients I had to improvise a bit and." Hermione defended herself.

"I'm sure it tastes great." Buffy cut her off with a smile.

"We didn't really have a chance to get you anything but when this is all over we'll owe you a proper present." Harry said handing her a box.

"You guys didn't have to get me anything." Buffy grinned tearing into it none the less. "Funny, you think I'm actually wearing this." She said holding up the black robe with disgust.

"You're going to have too." Hermione replied. "It's a practical gift, for when we sneak into the ministry."

"Well then I'm just gonna have to make sure you all survive this war so I get my real presents." Buffy replied. "Come on lets have some cake before poor Ron starves to death." She added teasingly. The cake as it turned out wasn't bad and after their sugary breakfast the foursome began preparing to once again move their location.

"Oiy, you don't need to do that by hand anymore." Ron reminded her as she packed up her bag.

"Your trace is gone, you can do magic as much as you want." Hermione added.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea." Buffy replied unsurely.

"Why not?" Harry asked confused.

"Well I've only ever done magic on the hellmouth." Buffy explained. "And I can really only pull that off cause of my slayer powers, I'm not sure how I'll do without it. What if I overdo a spell or make a mess and..."

"Well you might as well try now so we can see what we need to work on." Hermione replied.

"What if I attract to much attention?" Buffy asked.

"We're leaving in a moment anyways." Harry shrugged.

"Ok, stand back." Buffy said rolling up her sleeves as they moved to stand slightly behind her. "Reducto." She cried pointing her wand at a nearby rock which blasted apart, they turned as pieces of the rock flew in all directs, avoiding face full of pebbles. Dust filled the air causing the four teens to cough, waving their hands about to clear the air.

"Well." Harry said clearing his throat.

"See I told you." Buffy said embarrassed.

"I pity the death eater that comes across you." Ron laughed.

"I don't think it's your defensive spells we need to worry about." Hermione said ignoring the two boys laughter.

"That's pretty much all I've ever done." Buffy reminded her.

"I know but try one of the ones we worked on, something simple like...float that leaf." She said pointed to one on the ground.

"Ok." Buffy nodded reciting the spell Hermione had spent hours getting her to properly pronounce. But instead of gently floating the leaf in question shot up in the air with the speed of a bullet.

"I'd hate to be a bird right now." Ron commented.

"I suck at this." Buffy groaned.

"No you don't." Harry assured her. "It worked...a bit to well but it worked none the less."

"Yes, we just need to work on toning it down a bit." Hermione said encouragingly. "We should head out." She added scanning the area.

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"Is that a gift from your friends?" Hermione asked curiously finding the blonde outside there tent late that night with a package in her lap.

"Sort of." Buffy said patting the ground beside her. "But not for me."

"I don't understand." Hermione said sitting down beside her.

"Here." Buffy said passing her the note in her hand.

Dear Buffy,

I found a great deal of information on the matter you requested. Faith assures me she will get this to you. I must admit your quest for knowledge on this subject is slightly troubling and beg you not to do anything foolish. Enclosed are my notes and some books that you may find helpful. I hope you find what you are looking for and know that you are greatly missed.

Take care,

Giles.

"I don't." Hermione began again after reading the note.

"The night before I showed you my last memory." Buffy began cutting her off. "Harry came to see me while you guys were sleeping, he told me his godfather had died two years ago and it was his fault."

"Oh." Hermione said surprised. "I knew something happened, you two acted different towards each other after that night." she explained.

"I think maybe he was going on the assumption I hadn't saved Dawn, that I lost her to Glory." Buffy continued unsurely. "I guess he figured that's why I am how I am." She shrugged. "We fought a bit and then he asked what happened next. Only he didn't want to see, he wanted me to tell him about it. I've relived that moment so many times in my mind, even the next day walking you all through it...it just wasn't the same. Showing and telling are so different, in so many ways. We never spoke about it, they never brought it up and neither did I. Even my Grandfather hadn't asked about that day, just what happened after. So I told him and maybe it did me some good, I don't know. I told him why I was the way I was and he told me everything that happened to him."

"What does that have to do with this?" Hermione asked gesturing to the note.

"I asked my watcher to look in to that veil thing." Buffy explained. "Harry doesn't know. I couldn't get his hopes up about it. We may be able to bring Sirius back."

"Really!?" Hermione asked shocked. "That's fantastic...but wait, you said we shouldn't bring people back."

"Portals are different than death in some cases." Buffy explained. "That's why I had to be sure before I gave this information to anyone who could use it."

"Sure about what?" Hermione asked curiously.

"What the veil was, where it went, what it did, where he was." She replied. "If he was dead then there was nothing to be done."

"So then he's not?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"Not yet." Buffy nodded. "He can be saved."

"How?" Hermione asked.

"It's complicated and all in here." Buffy said nodding to the package. "It still may not work. I'd still rather not say anything to Harry. Not now anyways. He needs to focus on what were doing here. But if we wait until after we finish Sirius will be dead and nothing can bring him back."

"Except the spell your friends used on you." Hermione said pointedly.

"I told you it can't be done again. There's a relic of some sort needed and the last was smashed during my resurrection thankfully. Even if you could create a substitute I'd stop you." Buffy replied with an edge to her voice.

"But why?" Hermione began.

"Your never going to let this go are you?" Buffy sighed.

"I just want to understand why bringing back good people can be a bad thing?" Hermione replied.

"If you're a good person, a champion of good at that, what do you think happens when you die? Where do they go?" Buffy asked tiredly.

"Well they go to...oh." Hermione gasped surprised. "You were actually in..."

"Till they ripped me from it." Buffy nodded painfully. "They thought I was in hell, but this is hell. Living everyday, not knowing if I'll ever get that back...I can't do that to someone else."

"I'm sorry, I had no idea."

"It's fine." Buffy sighed. "I need your help getting this to someone you can trust."

"I know just the person." Hermione smiled. "Can..can I ask you something?" She said unsurely.

"Sure." Buffy nodded.

"What's it like?"

"I don't really remeber, I guess that's supposed to make it easier but it doesn't." Buffy sighed. "I know I was happy though, I was at peace."

It didn't take much to convince the boys later that day that a trip to Grimuald place was in order before their raid on the Ministry. After much discussion they decided although they had all become secret keepers and could get Buffy in it was probably best if they didn't. Besides weakening the protective magic further they also may stumble upon an Order Member that shouldn't see her.

"You guys go do that and I can find the other hairs for the polyjuice potion." Buffy said as they packed up the tent once again.

"I don't think we should split up." Harry protested. "You can't apperate and you don't even know the place we're meeting."

"I can read a map." Buffy replied.

"He's right, one of us should stay with you." Hermione nodded.

"I'll do it." Harry spoke up. "If I'm not with you guys and you get spotted by one of the Order they're more likely to let you leave again." He explained.

"Are you sure?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, you two go and we'll meet up Saturday." Harry nodded. "Eleven sharp."

"What if something happens?" Hermione began unsurely.

"If we're all not there by eleven fifteen the others go on without them." Buffy replied.

"She's right." Harry said before they could protest. "This needs to be done."

"But what of were just detained or...how will we meet back up?" Hermione asked not wanting to voice the reality they may not all live through the war.

"I have an idea." Harry said suddenly pulling the broken mirror out of the pouch around his neck. They all watched as he broke the large shard into four pieces. "Let's see if it works." he said handing them each a shard. "Ron." He said looking down at the piece in his hand only to see Ron's face looking back instead of his own.

"Hermione." Ron said causing Harry's face to disappear and Hermione's to appear in it's place. "Wicked." He grinned.

"Ok, so this way we can contact each other if something goes wrong." Harry said after they made sure each piece worked.

"It's probably not a good idea to use them to much though." Hermione replied. "We can't be sure how secure they are. Someone may be able to tap into them."

"Only for emergencies then." Ron nodded pocketing his piece.

"We need a code word." Buffy said thinking. "So we can be sure it's really each other we're talking to."

"Good idea." Hermione nodded.

"What should it be?" Ron asked.

"Well seeing as were the only one's who know about it, why not R.A.B." Harry suggested.

"Brilliant." Hermione grinned.

"We should have a decoy one too." Buffy spoke up. "If one of us gets caught."

"Right, incase were forced to contact the others and try and lure them into a trap." Harry nodded. "Let's use the DA."

"Ok then." Hermione replied. "I guess this is it then." She said reluctantly.

"You guys take the cloak." Harry said thrusting it into her hands. "You'll need it more." He insisted.

"Be careful." Ron nodded.

"You too." Buffy replied. "We'll see you in a few days." She added as the pair disappeared with a pop.

"Come on." Harry said holding out his hand which she quickly took and a second later they disappeared as well.


	18. Chapter 18

Just to clarify Buffy was Sixteen when she died and was brought back she just turned seventeen thus losing her trace.

"If I can't manage to transfigure this back it's going to cost a fortune to fix at a salon." Buffy said eying the strands of her newly darkened hair that she held between her fingers.

"I'm sure you'll manage." Harry replied confident in her abilities. He'd been impressed with how well she'd managed the spells that she'd been studying with Hermione. Though he shouldn't really have been knowing who her grandfather was her skills in transfiguration shouldn't come as much of a surprise given her family. She'd managed to change enough aspects of their appearances that noone would recognize them. "Brunet doesn't really suit you." He added with a smile.

"I'm not sure if that was a compliment or insult." Buffy replied with a good natured shove.

"Just a statement of fact." Harry grinned holding up his hands in mock surrender.

"It wouldn't be too bad with some highlights." She said gazing at herself in the small mirror. "Ugh I feel like a vamp." She shuttered causing him to laugh. She didn't have any qualms about changing her hair color saying she could always just dye it if the spell stuck, but when he pointed out a tan in England was going to stick out a bit she'd more than a bit reluctant to remove it seeing as the only way to do so was permanent, the only way to get it back was the old fashion way or, with a tanning spell which she tried and declared made her look like she had a bad spray tan. He wasn't entirely sure what that was but had to agree it was a bit orange.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked glancing at his own appearance one more. His hair had been changed to dirty blonde and much shorter and neater that it normally was. His scar was carefully concealed and his eyes a light blue instead of their usual green. His nose was slightly longer and his face rounder.

"I can't believe I'm letting myself be seen like this." Buffy sighed following him out of the tent.

"Well if all goes as planned noone will know it's you." Harry replied as they packed everything up into Hermione's beaded bag.

"Great, now you jinxed us." Buffy mock glared at him. "Let's get this over with." She said slipping the bag into her pocket.

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"Where did you find this?" Remus demanded scanning through the documents stunned.

"I can't say." Hermione replied. "But I can assure you the information is accurate."

"What do you mean you can't say?" Remus asked confused.

"I just....."Hermione trailed off unsurely.

"It could endanger our mission." Ron replied saving her. "Will you be able to use it?"

"I'll take care of it." Remus promised.

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"Your accent is terrible." Harry laughed at Buffy's attempts to sound British.

"What's wrong with it?" Buffy pouted.

"First of all the way you talk, well...You sound like an old man." Harry grinned.

"Yeah well I was sort of channeling Giles." Buffy shrugged smiling. "That's the way you guys talk."

"You've spent enough time around us to know that's not true." Harry replied. "Your trying to hard, it's forced anyone would see right through it."

"Ok Fine Professor Higgins your so great at the whole talking like a Brit thingy, teach me." She dared.

"Who's Professor Higgins?" Harry asked confused.

"My Fair Lady." Buffy said stunned when she got no reaction. "It's a musical, and a Disney movie, don't tell me you've never even heard of it. God what have you been doing living under a rock?"

"I haven't really seen many movies." He shrugged. "So what's it about?"

"This guy who's some sort of speech professor or whatever makes a bet with this other smarty pants guy that he can teach this homeless woman how to look and act like a lady and fool all these rich people." She explained.

"So basically your saying I'm really smart and you have no class." He teased.

"Oh shut up." She mock glared. "My pop culture references are wasted on you."

"So if I take this bet what do I win for turning you into a proper English lady?" He asked grinning.

"In the movie well, I don't remember how much money they bet. But in the end they fall in love with her but then she finds out about the bet but don't worry it has a happy ending with kissing." She explained.

"Oh so I teach you speak proper English and we snog." He smirked.

"Yes....What? wait a minute.....you wish buddy." She replied flustered.

"You say that now but once were through and your in love with me." he teased.

"Oh shut up and just tell me what I'm doing wrong." She said shoving him playfully.

The rest of the day was blissfully uneventful. They managed to get the hairs they needed and even some food and other supplies. Blending into the crowd of muggles out shopping made things easy they were almost able to forget the danger they were in until it began to get dark and she felt the familiar tingle.

"Damn it." Buffy cursed quietly pausing as she bent over to pull something out of her boot. She felt better having the familiar wooden weight in her hand.

"What is it?" Harry asked quietly scanning the area.

"Vampires." Buffy informed him.

"Where?" Harry asked glancing around again and still seeing nothing.

"Over that way." Buffy nodded to her left. "There's at least three of them, maybe more."

"They may be working for Voldemort." He replied unsurely.

"Especially since he knows I have his little trinket." Buffy agreed.

"So maybe we should just avoid them." He said gesturing for them to take the path to their right.

"And let them hurt someone else." Buffy sighed. "I know I technically quit but I can't....I can't just ignore that it's still my job....I have to..."

"I understand." Harry nodded. "Let's go."


	19. Fighting the Good Fight

Ok nothing to do with the story but I was writing this scene and couldn't stop thinking about one of my Favorite Buffy moments. It's from the episode where Buffy gets hurt badly and Riley goes patrolling for her but she makes him take the gang for back up and they follow him around while he's being all stealthy eating chips. You gotta love Willow, Xander and, Anya trying to figure out what the hell Riley's doing with all his secret agent hand signals and moves and Riley getting all annoyed at them for not being stealthy. Like I said nothing to do with the story just wanted to share.

"You can just wait for me here." Buffy said unsurely glancing at him.

"Nope." Harry shook his head were sticking together.

"You probably shouldn't use magic unless you have to." She said handing him a stake. "Pointy end goes in the bad guy."

"Right." Harry nodded. "Anything else? I mean you fought vampires with your muggle friends before."

"I wouldn't exactly call the scoobs muggles." Buffy smiled. "Basically all you need to do is remeber you do not have super strength, don't try and be impressive, just try and stay out of the way and never, ever forget the number one rule."

"Ok, what is the number one rule?" He asked unsurely.

"Don't die." She grinned. "Don't worry you'll do fine."

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"Ron." Hermione whispered quietly as they lay side by side in their sleeping bags on the dusty wooden floor.

"Yeah?" he asked turning his head slightly just able to make out the outline of her body in the darkness.

"Do you ever wonder what will happen when this is all over?" She asked unsurely.

"I try not to." he admitted quietly reaching out in the darkness to find her hand. "Every things so uncertain, I mean I don't even know if we'll all....."

"I know what you mean." She said giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Just so you know whatever happens I don't regret any of it." He said turning to lie on his side facing her. "Meeting Harry and you was the best thing that ever happened to me. I wouldn't change any of it, not even the troll." He teased.

"Do you really mean that Ron?" Hermione asked tearfully. "Even when I was being a bossy know it all?"

"I happen to like bossy know it alls." Ron smiled giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Get some rest we have a big day tomorrow."

"Goodnight Ron."

"Night Hermione." he replied as they fell asleep their hands clasped tightly between them.

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"He's not going poof." Harry said panicking as he scrambled away from the rising Vamp pulling out his wand.

"Hearts on the other side genius." Buffy laughed staking the vamp easily. "Rookie mistake, you'll get it next time."

"Great there's going to be a next time." Harry groaned brushing off his pants.

"Sorry it's a hazzard of hanging out with me." Buffy shrugged.

"I suppose it's worth it." Harry teased. "So what now?"

"Well normally I'd go to Giles and investigate who was making the newbies but since that's not really something we can do right now we make camp I guess" She replied packing her stakes away.

"Newbies?" Harry asked falling into stride beside her as they made their way out of the park.

"Newly risen vamps." Buffy explained. "Those two were pretty young a few months old at the most."

"How can you tell?" Harry asked curiously.

"Well it's hard to be certain but there's a few ways." She began explaining as she kept alert for any more unwelcome visitors. "Your first clue is the clothes. Some vamps are good at adapting with the times but a lot are stuck in the fashions of their former lives. Then there's how powerful they are. With Vamps the older they get the more powerful they become. Then again that's not a hard and fast rule. I mean some vamps are very powerful from the start and others can last a long time never becoming that powerful. Then you look at fighting styles and feeding patterns and a bunch of other stuff which bores me to even talk about. Just trust me they were newbies."

"You're the Vampire expert." Harry shrugged.

"We should probably take off somewhere else to make camp incase anyone notices those guys went poof and comes looking for who did it." Buffy said shifting her backpack to her other arm.

"Good idea." Harry nodded taking her hand. "Ready." At her nod they disappeared with a pop.

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"Buffy?" Harry called waking to find the cot next to him empty.

"Over here." She replied from the makeshift kitchen.

"What are you doing?" he asked nervously seeing she had the pensive set out and the familiar vial that continued memories lay empty beside it.

"It's stupid but I'm afraid to look." She admitted reluctantly.

"Good, you said it was a bad idea." He began.

"No." She cut him off. "It isn't that one, I mean I'm not trying to look at my memory of heaven."

"Oh." Harry nodded understanding. "The attack on your family."

"Yeah." she sighed.

"Third year, after Sirius broke out of prison there were dementors everywhere. You know what they are right?" he asked continuing at her nod. "It was the first time I remembered my parents. The only memory I really have of them is my worst memory, the night they died. Part of me was glad though, that I actually had a memory of them." He explained. "It was so hard to fight off the dementors for me because part of me just wanted that little piece of my parents they could give me as painful as it was."

"I don't remeber them at all." Buffy replied sadly. "I just have to know....will you come with me?" She asked unsurely.

"Are you sure you want me too?" He asked surprised.

"I don't want to do it alone." She admitted.

"We don't have to do this." he said but knew she would eventually with or without him. She couldn't not, noone could understand her need to know like he would. The need to see her family even if it was like this. "Why didn't he ever show you his own memories of your family, good ones?" He asked confused.

"He offered." She replied not meeting his gaze. "I've seen pictures but I wanted to see this one. I need to see this."

"If your sure." Harry shrugged.

"I'm sure."S he nodded as they leaned over the pensive.


	20. New plan

They had been eating dinner when the attack came, ten death eaters appearing in their livingroom. They held their own for a while fighting them off slowly dwindling their numbers but they couldn't last much longer without help.

"We need to get the children out of here!" A tall blonde hair man yelled waving his wand furiously as he fought of three hooded wizard.

"I can't get to them." A woman called back struggling to keep up with the spells being shot at her by two other hooded figures. "Christopher get back!" She shouted seeing her five year old son peeking his head out of the kitchen doorway.

"MOMMY!" He cried as she was hit with a jet of green light and crumpled to the floor.

"Rachel no!" The man cried furiously shooting spells as he made his way across the room his son. Knocking him out of the way as another jet of green light shot past where he'd just stood. He'd taken out two of the hooded figures but still had three to face and was growing weary. "Chris Hide." He said shoving him back through the doorway.

"What about Lizzie?" Chris asked pausing.

"Just go!" He shouted knowing there was no way his son could make it out of there dragging an infant with him. His only hope was that he could hold the death eaters off until help arrived. "You stay the hell away from my son!" He shouted at a one of the figures as they attempted to follow the child knocking them to the ground with a wave of his wand.

"Your just prolonging the inevitable." Another of the death eaters taunted. "You're all going to die today. The entire Dumbledore line will be wiped out and then who will they look to to save them all."

"Hey get away from my sister!" Chris shouted from the kitchen. Followed by a cry of "Avada Kedravra"

"NO!" He shouted hearing the thud of a body hitting the floor. Racing into the kitchen as he ducked curses he saw his sons small body crumpled on the floor and his crying daughter on the floor next to him killing the death eater who had there wand pointed at her. There was a exploding noise in the other room alerting him that help had arrived falling to his knees next to his son he reached out his hand to sooth his distraught baby. Never seeing the death eater that snuck up behind him. The last thing he saw before he was hit with the killing curse was his best friend rushing through the back door.

"David!" Arthur cried His wand trained on the death eater that had just killed his best friend. They began to Fight spells flying as Arthur stood protectively in front of the baby. One of the spells Arthur shit knocked the mask of his face giving him a glimpse of his friends killer before the commotion the Aurors caused in the other room and the sounds of his comrades falling caused the man to turn and flee.

"You know I always thought he refused to show me because they were there because of me." Buffy said sadly. "I thought they knew about the prophecy or something. But they weren't after me, well they were but not because I was a potential but because..."

"Because you were a Dumbledore." Harry Finished for her. "Maybe he wasn't worried you'd blame yourself but that you'd blame him."

"I don't even Remember them." Buffy said walking over to the cots and sitting down. "My brother, he died protecting me, and I don't even Remember him. He should have ran, he stayed to protect me." She said painfully.

"He wanted to save you, just like you wanted to save Dawn." Harry replied placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault."

"Vodlymoron attacked My grandfather while this was all going on with a bunch of his lackeys. He didn't count on Half the order being there." She laughed bitterly. "He was determined to wipe us out I guess."

"At least He didn't win though." Harry offered with a small smile.

"Didn't he?" She asked with a shrug. "I mean it took him a lot longer but he finally managed to Kill him. Now there's just me and My great Uncle Aberforth who I've never met if he's even still alive."

"I honestly have no idea." Harry shrugged.

"Well I guess that just leaves me. The last of the Dumbledores." Buffy sighed. "I mean I guess I always knew it was gonna happen, that the line would die with me. He was super old and all but as long as he was around it wasn't so...real I guess. Now if I die it's sort of feels like he wins."

"Well as long as your alive he hasn't won." Harry replied.

"And just think about how pissed he's gonna be when I show up alive and kicking."

"I'd imagine it would make him very angry."

"Especially since I mean the kicking part literally." She smirked causing him to laugh.

"Anyways I know how you feel." Harry said taking a seat next to her. "I'm the last of the Potter line. If he manages to kill us both he'll have ended two lines."

"So I guess were just gonna have to make sure we don't die." Buffy replied. "Or at least that we out live him so he can't be all gloaty about it."

"Oh so now you suddenly don't want to die?" Harry teased.

"I just don't like to lose." Buffy said shoving him playfully.

"I'll keep that in mind." Harry laughed.

"Anyways it's up to us to live up to our families good names and show him what he gets for messing with them." Buffy replied darkly.

"I thought you said looking for revenge didn't work out." Harry replied unsurely.

"It wont make you feel better, it wont change anything and in most cases it will make things worse." Buffy nodded. "But this isn't about revenge. It's about taking a stand. He's a creep and deserves to be wiped off the face of the earth. He killed our families because they stood against him. They died trying to stop him and protect us. So this isn't about revenge it's about finishing what they started. Ok and maybe a little about revenge." She added at Harry's look of disbelief. "I'm not perfect, I want revenge. I know It wont bring our families back but it will make sure that he can never do what he did to our families to someone else's."

"That's a good enough reason for me." Harry agreed.

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"Is something wrong?" Hermione asked worriedly when Remus appeared in the Kitchen the next morning.

"We found everything we needed but there's no way to make this work." Remus said defeated sinking into the chair across the table from them. "Tonks, Charlie and I have been over and over it all night. We have everything we need to perform the ritual but we can't do it. As long as the ministry is being controlled by death eaters we'll never be able to get in and time to pull it off."

"Charlie's in on this?" Ron asked surprised.

"The rest of the order doesn't know." Remus admitted. "We needed someone we could trust and He and Dora are old friends. We didn't think it was a good idea for the information about the veil you found to get out. I mean it was hidden for a reason. But, It takes two to perform the ritual and I can't take that risk with her not even for Sirius not now."

"Why what's going on?" Hermione asked confused.

"She's pregnant." He informed them the usual happy father to be excitement noticeably absent.

"That's wonderful." Hermione grinned. "Harry will be so happy when we tell him."

"He's not going to be so happy when he finds out we can't bring Sirius back." Remus sighed.

"He doesn't know it's even an option." Hermione admitted reluctantly. "Excuse me for a moment." She said abruptly walking from the room. Ron shrugged at Remus curious look as tehy both waited for her to return.

"You have everything you need for the ritual?" Hermione asked walking back inot the room a few minutes later.

"Yes." Remus nodded confused by her question. "But what does that matter we can't."

"Just be ready." Hermione cut him off. "If you go to the Ministry today around noon you'll get your chance."

"I don't understand." Remus began.

"There will be a distraction, one big enough that noone will notice what your to." She promised.

"Your not going to do something foolish and put yourselves in danger are you?" Remus asked unsurely. "Because you know Sirius wouldn't want you too."

"Don't worry." Hermione assured him. "Ron, Harry and I will not being doing anything other than what we already planed and while I can't say it wont be dangerous it is necessary. We wont be involving ourselves in this. Whatever happens with getting Sirius back is up to you."

"Then how do you know." He began.

"Just trust me please." She begged.

"I do." Remus nodded. "We'll be ready for whatever it is."

"You'll know it when you see it." Hermione replied.

"I noticed when you said we weren't doing anything you left out one name." Ron said after Remus had left. "Granted he doesn't know about her but I can't help but wonder if the distraction you have planned has something to do with Buffy."

"It was her idea." Hermione sighed. "And I'm not to sure it's even a good one."

"And just how does she plan to distract the entire ministry?" Ron asked.

"She didn't say." Hermione replied hesitantly. "I have a bad feeling about this. She doesn't have much magical training and the people there are all fully trained witches and wizards."

"But your forgetting she's also the slayer and Dumbledore's granddaughter." Ron reminded her.

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Buffy sat outside soaking up the morning sun. Harry had laughed at her devotion to regaining her tan at any cost even if that meant spending every free moment she could in the sunlight. Luckily though she had been outside alone when Hermione called her. She had no idea what she was thinking when she told the other girl she'd provide the distraction her friend needed. She wasn't sure even now exactly what she was planning to do. The ministry would be full of fully trained Witches and Wizards gaining and keeping their attention was going to be difficult, dangerous and maybe even fun she thought with a small smile.

"Ron and Hermione should be here soon." Harry said walking out of the tent and waving his wand at it.

"Do we have a game plan?" Buffy asked curiously as she watched the tent pack itself up.

"I know where we need to look it will just be a matter of getting there." Harry replied.

"Do you really think it will be that easy?" Buffy asked hating that she was manipulating him but knowing tricking him into this was better than the alternative. "I mean come on. It's the Ministry of Magic which normally would be difficult to infiltrate add to that it's been taken over by death eaters and we don't have a shot in hell of just sneaking in and out without anyone suspecting a thing."

"Do you have a better idea?" Harry asked with a touch of annoyance in his voice.

"We need a distraction." Buffy said inwardly grinning as he agreed. That was the easy part now came the hard part. "I'll be the distraction." She offered.

Twenty minutes of arguing later he finally caved just in time for them to turn tensing at the familiar popping noise only to relax when they saw their friends.


	21. Anarchy

"Where's the distraction?" Charlie asked nervously anticipating their capture any second.

"She said noon it's a bit early yet." Remus replied quietly.

"What are we looking for?" Charlie asked glancing around.

"No idea." Remus sighed. "She said we'd know it when we saw it."

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"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Harry asked for the tenth time as they hid by the Phone book that served at the entrance to the Ministry of Magic.

"I've got a plan." Buffy replied with a shrug. "We'll see how it goes you just worry about getting what you need."

"Everything's set." Hermione said creeping up behind them with Ron at her heels. "Are you positive you don't want to use the polyjuice potion." She said unsurely glancing at their blonde friend. "Everyone will know what you look like."

"And unlike before your tan wont be in jeopardy." Harry teased.

"If you can even call it that anymore." Buffy scowled glancing down at her lightly bronzed arms. "Oh well just chalk it up to another sacrifice to the greater good." She shrugged. "You all need to chill I've got the whole distraction thingy under control. So we good to go?" She asked sharing a meaningful look with Hermione.

"All set." Hermione nodded pulling out a familiar flask and three glasses."We'll only have an hour to get in and out once the potion takes affect." She reminded them as they dropped the hairs in their individual glasses.

"Ok." Harry nodded glancing around the group. "Everyone remember the place where we're meeting?" At their nods he continued. "And you all have your piece of the mirror?"

"Check and Check." Buffy replied. "Let's get this show on the road."

"Bottoms up." Ron said as the three of them drained their glasses grimacing at the taste.

Getting in was easier than they expected. The golden trio waited, trying not appear suspicious, for the arrival of their friend who insisted she had to come in through the visitor's entrance.

"Do you think she forgot the number?" Ron asked quietly.

"I'm going to go with no." Hermione replied nervously as they watched a stream of Aurors fly into the atrium.

"I think this is it." Remus said nervously as he and Charlie stood unknowingly across the room from the golden trio.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Charlie demanded as they watched a petite blonde stepped off the phone booth elevator a familiar silver badge pinned to her jacket. She never falter even as twenty fully trained aurors stood wands pointed at her. Smiling sweetly at them she asked.

"Can any of you point me to the security desk? I'm supposed to turn in my wand for inspection." As she finished the first spell flew. She narrowly dodged the stunning spell, flipping over the shocked group. As she landed securely on the top of the newly restored fountain she drew her wand. "On second thought I think I'll hold onto it." She said her smile never faltering as the battle began.

"Well noone will notice us." Hermione sighed. "Come on the sooner we get done the sooner we can get her out of here."

"If she lives through this I'm going to kill her." Harry said furiously allowing Hermione and Ron to drag him away.

"Surrender and we wont hurt you." One of the Aurors demanded.

"I may be blonde but I'm not stupid." Buffy scoffed rolling out of the way as the stone wizard exploded beneath her landing in the midst of three Aurors she disarmed one quickly knocking him out as she dodged the others spells. A jet of light hit her in the chest partially hitting her visitor badge knocking it across the room and knocking her off her feet but she quickly regained her footing much to the shock and displeasure of her opponents. "Now I'm angry." Buffy said glancing down at where her badge and been pinned. "That was shinny I liked it." She pouted launching an offensive attack.

"What the hell." Charlie said bending down and retrieving the badge from where it had skidded to a halt against his boot. "It isn't bloody possible." He said reading it.

"We don't have time for this, we need to go." Remus replied. Charlie nodded shoving the badge into his pocket and following his friend out.

"How does that spell go again?" Buffy said mockingly. "Oh yeah, Bibity Bopity, Boom." She said pointing her wand at the fountain and shouting reducto causing it to explode in a million pieces. Using the dust filled air as cover she disarmed as many Aurors as she could. She hoped that her friends would hurry because if this went on to long she was going to have to start actually hurting the Aurors.

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"We're all set." Remus said as he laid the last candle in the designated spot.

"So we recite the spell and then....." Charlie trailed of unsurely.

"He comes back out." Remus replied.

"And what about the other things?" Charlie began. "We don't know what else we could be bringing with him."

"We went over this." Remus sighed. "It's a risk but we don't have anymore time to debate it. It's now or never."

"Ok." Charlie nodded. "Let's do it."

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"Come on where are you?" Hermione groaned flipping through stacks of records.

"What the bloody hell?" Ron cried as a huge explosion sounded above them.

"Buffy." Harry said concerned.

"Will you two help me look so we can get out of here!" Hermione snapped.

"Didn't you hear." Ron began.

"Yes of course I heard it." Hermione cut him off annoyed. "She's doing her part and distracting everyone we don't have time to worry about her right now. She knows what she's doing and the sooner we find those papers the sooner we can get ourselves and her out of here."

"I think I found something." Harry said handing her a scroll.

"YES!" Hermione grinned. "Ok we've got it let's go." She said as they ran to the door only to be knocked off their feet as the ground shook.

"Earthquake?" Harry said unsurely a the ground finally settled.

"I don't think so." Ron said nervously as a flood of screaming wizard flew past them.

"What is that?" Hermione said growing alarmingly pale.

"I don't know." Harry replied grabbing her hand. "RUN!"

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"We've got to do something." Charlie said as they dragged a semi conscious Sirius between them under an invisibility cloak. "We brought that thing here we can't let it hurt anyone."

"I know." Remus replied worriedly. "But nothing we throw at it seems to faze it."

"Buffy!" Harry called as they made their way into the dust filled atrium.

"What the hell is going on?" Buffy demanded making her way through the panicked masses to her friends.

"You tell us?" Ron replied.

"Don't look at me." Buffy replied annoyed. "I was kicking ass and then all hell broke lose.

"I think it's a demon." Hermione explained.

"How the hell would a demon get in the Ministry?" Harry asked confused.

"Side effect." Buffy groaned. "Well looks like I'm not done kicking ass."

"Side effect of what?" Harry demanded. "What's going on?"

"No time." Buffy waved off his questions. "I'm guessing it's coming that way?" She said pointing to the hallways most of the mob was fleeing from.

"How can we help?" Hermione asked concerned. "It's immune to magic."

"Find me a weapon." Buffy called pushing her way through the crowd. "Something sharp."

"Sharp right." Hermione said unsurely.

"Unless I know what kind of demon it is I wont know how to kill it." Buffy explained. "When in doubt beheading is usually a good fallback plan."


	22. Who is She

She was fighting to push past the fleeing crowd she was going to kill the next person who elbowed her, well maybe not kill since that wasn't allowed but maiming sounded good right about them. Giles never told her about any no maiming rules.

"One little demon and the big bad magical folk go a running." She scoffed. "Ok maybe not so little." She corrected herself spotting tall dark and ugly as he slammed through the atrium doorway. Creating a nice monster sized hole in the walls surrounding it. She fought the urge to cover her ears a hysterical shrieks filled the air when something mad her pause. Her slayer senses were tingling, god none of her new friends would appreciate that witty comment, she thought shaking her head. Where's Xander when you need him, he always gets her jokes. She glanced out of the corner of her eye spotting two men standing along the wall wands raised as they prepared to fight, one of them not entirely human, werewolf she realized. They seemed to be standing slightly in front of something but another quick glance showed only air between them and the wall.

It must be the rescue party she realized. But what the hell were they still doing there. They were supposed to do the spell and get the hell out with or without Sirius depending on wether it worked or not. Couldn't anyone follow a plan? She wondered annoyed.

"Hey Ugly!" She shouted tossing a large piece of the fountain she'd smashed earlier and tossing it at it's head as the demon made a swipe at an terrified witch. Ok speaking of plans it was time to make one up cause she successfully distracted the demon from the woman but it now was focused on her. "Don't you have somewhere to be that's not here." She asked annoyed as she felt a presence moving up behind her.

"But the demon." He began.

"I got this." She cut him off launching into an attack. Damn ugly was strong. She winced at the sound her body made when it connected with the wall. That was going to hurt tomorrow, ok to be honest it hurt now.

"BUFFY!" Hermione shouted gesturing to Ron who had managed to find a sword.

"Toss it." She yelled back praying it was sharp and strong and that Ron had a good arm. You would think the boy never tossed a sword as he awkwardly hurled it into the air, in all fairness he probably hadn't but she didn't have time to worry about that she leapt into the air trying to avoid her weapon being embedded into one of the people she was trying to save. In a move that would make Giles proud she caught it by the handle swinging around and nearly removing ugly's head from his shoulders. Jumping out of the way as the four hundred pound body crashed to the floor she smiled as Hermione as the girl finally made her way over.

"Id it dead?" Hermione asked unsurely.

"Don't know." Buffy shrugged prodding it with her foot. "I say light the sucker on fire to be safe." Hermione nodded preforming the spell quickly causing the demon to burst into flame leaving filling the room with disgusting smelling smoke.

"Well that was fun, time to go." Buffy grinned at the two stunned men behind her as she grabbed Hermione's hand and disappeared into the crowd.

"Who the hell was that?" Charlie asked stunned.

"No idea." Remus shrugged. "Let's get out while we still can." He added as they picked up their unconscious friend and fought their way to the exits.

"That was the stupidest, most idiotic, reckless thing I've ever seen are you insane?! Do you have death wish? What were you thinking, what am I talking about you couldn't have been thinking!" Harry fumed.

"Are you almost done?" Buffy asked annoyed. He was mad she got it, hell they all got it ten minutes into his lecture now half an hour later it was getting old.

"We accomplished are goals and everything worked out fine." Hermione interjected before Harry could start again.

"Was it really necessary to summon a demon?" Harry asked sinking to the ground tiredly. He didn't know how Mrs Weasley did it yelling at people was tiring.

"I didn't do that." Buffy insisted.

"But Hermione said it was a side effect..." Harry trailed off confused.

"We need to tell him." Ron spoke up. "There's no reason not to and he's going to be pissed enough as it is, no point in putting it off and making him angrier.

"Ugh." Buffy groaned. "Fine but, Promise no more yelling, well at least until tomorrow my ears hurt."

"What did you do?" Harry demanded.

"Well you see it wasn't us exactly....." Hermione began reluctantly.

"Where did you get this information?" Kingsley demanded.

"Hermione." Remus replied tiredly. After the initial shock of Sirius being back wore off Molly went into mothering mode and now a much more alert and very full Sirius was finally finished being poked and prodded by Poppy and declared heathy. Sirius was back and fille din on all he missed so now it was time to move onto the how and why of his miraculous return. Remus had gladly given over the information to the curious order but he only knew so much.

"Where did she manage to get this?" Bill asked stunned. "I mean we searched for information for months and came up with nothing."

"She told me she got it from a friend and wouldn't say who." Remus replied explaining the cryptic conversation and how Harry didn't even know about it.

"So how does this tie in to the mess that happened over at the Ministry today?" Fred asked confused. Even though most of the order Members where in hiding since the Death eater takeover of the ministry they still had people on the inside.

"Yeah what really happened?" George demanded.

"I'm not really sure." Remus sighed. "A blonde girl stepped off the elevator and they reacted as if we would have a few months ago if Voldemort popped in for a visit. You should have seen her, tiny little thing stood her ground against twenty armed Aurors and didn't even blink."

"By the Time we got back up to the atrium with Sirius she'd kicked all their asses." Charlie added. "Not to mention made quick work of the demon that tagged along when we pulled him from the veil."

"Demon!" Molly gasped horrified.

"One impervious to magic no less, probably why it was sent into the veil to begin with." Remus replied. "I believe she was the friend Hermione didn't want to mention since she left with her."

"No she didn't she was some woman Who I met once when I visited Dad at work...I can't recall her name." Charlie said trying to come up with it.

"Polly juice potion." Remus replied. "It was starting to wear off as was our so it's a good thing we got out of there when we did."

"Well they seem to have found a very good ally." Tonks grinned.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Charlie said frowning. "I don't know how they got mixed up with that girl but there's no way she can be who she says she is."

"I don't recall her mentioning her name." Remus said confused.

"She didn't." Charlie replied pulling something out of his pocket "but she dropped this." He said handing over the visitor's badge.

"Oh dear." Molly said tearfully reading it.

"You said she took on the demon without magic." Mad Eye Demanded turning to Charlie. "But could she use it?"

"Use Magic?" Charlie asked confused. "Yeah why?"

"Then it must be her." Mad Eye Grinned.

"Elizabeth is Dead." Molly snapped not noticing the way her Husband winced guiltily. "She died with her family, Arthur was there." She said turning to her husband who refused to meet her gaze. "Arthur?" She asked unsurely.

"I.." He began emotionally still staring at the badge. "I couldn't...I can't..." He said warily eyeing Mad Eye.

"I never agreed with the order." Mad Eye assured him. "I refused to go that day, maybe if I had I could have....."

"They were all too late." Arthur sighed. "We were all too late. I left at the same time and arrived just in time to watch Dave die. Chris was already gone. We found out later he was protecting Lizzie. Rachel had been the first...." He trailed off blinking back his tears. "I could here them talking, someone said find the girl....I grabbed her and ran."

"But the body." Molly began thinking of how she'd wailed over the angelic little form that they'd buried the next day.

"It was her teddy bear." Arthur sighed. "I don't know how I did it, I was never that good at transfiguration but I knew I had to or....I did it and took her to Dumbledore. We found Malfoy and from his memory we're able to piece together what happened. Then Albus made sure he wouldn't remember anything and we let him go."

"LET HIM GO!" Bill shouted having been old enough at the time to remember the tragedy.

"You think I liked it?" Arthur snapped surprising them all he never lost his temper. "He killed my best friend! But he had to many friends and to many people who would question what happened to him. Noone even knew he was there that day and noone could. I swore before it was all over I'd make him pay but protecting Lizzie was more important."

"Protecting her from what?" Molly asked confused.

"The ministry wanted her dead." Mad Eye explained stunning them all. "She was a potential."

"Potential what?" George asked confused.

"Slayer." Arthur replied.

"That's not possible." Fred began.

"It is." Arthur cut him off. "And she is...was." He corrected himself. "But Charlie's right, She isn't who she says she is. Elizabeth Dumbledore is Dead."

"I don't understand." Molly said confused. "You saved her."

"We knew She would never be safe in our world." Arthur explained. "So Albus took her That night after we finished with Malfoy and I honestly thought I'd never see either of them again."

"So that's why noone could find him for days." Mad eye nodded. "We all thought he was out hunting down Voldemort looking for revenge."

"No, he was looking for a family." Arthur replied. "He showed up in time for the funerals, alone and afterwards he asked me to take a walk with him. I asked him where she was, why he came back and if he was staying...He said he couldn't leave and she couldn't stay. We wanted to be able to protect her but we couldn't fight the ministry and the death eaters. He told me he found a family, never said where but she would be taken care of. He said he couldn't change her destiny but he could make sure she was safe and loved until the time came for her to be called and to ensure that he had me erase his memory of where she was."

"So how do you know she's dead?" Fred demanded.

"After Harry defeated Voldemort we discussed bringing her home." Arthur explained. "But we didn't know where she was and things were still so uncertain that we made the decision to leave things as they were. Elizabeth was dead and that's how it would remain. It's what David and Rachel would have wanted. It killed Albus to give her up after losing them all but we had to think of her and not what we wanted."

"Still not seeing how you can know she's dead." George said confused. "You two didn't even know where she was."

"He found her." Arthur explained. "Not on purpose." He added with a small smile. "It turns out we could fool everyone but the Hogwarts book. Can not be deceived. When he name appeared on the list Minerva must have been stunned." He chuckled. "But she kept the information to herself at Albus's request and he followed the owl that took her letter to her. She'd already been called at that pont and he knew she couldn't come back especially with Voldemort returning. But they kept in touch. Then almost a year ago he asked me to meet him at the cemetery. I found him putting flowers on her grave. He confessed about finding her and them told me that he'd just come from Her funeral. I"m not entirely sure what happened but I know it had something to do with a portal that would suck the world into hell. She sacrificed herself to close it. I don't think he ever recovered from losing her again."

"So if it isn't her who is this mystery woman?" Kingsley asked nervously.

"I have no idea." Arthur replied just as worried.


	23. Fire

Thanks for all the reviews and sorry for taking so long to update. Now to answer the questions as to Buffy's funeral. On the show we never really got an answer to that. She did have a grave and headstone and I can't see the Scoobies not marking the event in some way so I assume there was one. The need for secrecy with Buffy's death was mostly for Dawn's sake (and to make it easier for them to resurrect her) and because Faith was in jail and they didn't want everyone to know the hell mouth was unprotected. Since I got rid of Dawn and brought Faith back I think there would have to be one. If for no other reason than that Giles was never in on the whole bringing her back spell and he would not let her just be buried without some ceremony. Anyways if you read back to Chapter 11 you'll recall Angel mentioning having been at her funeral. So to answer your question for the purposes of my story she had a funeral and was legally dead. Mainly cause I want to make it hard on the BTVS/HP verses as I can for her to have been brought back. Maybe I'm just mean or like drama a bit to much anyways onto the story. If I haven't already bored you sleep with my rambling....

"Sirius is alive?" Harry asked stunned. "But you said we couldn't bring him back what if you....."

"He wasn't ever dead." Buffy cut him off. "After you told me about the veil thingy I had my watcher look into it. He was never dead just trapped but, he would have died if we waited to get him out of there."

"Why didn't you tell me!?" Harry demanded. "If I knew about it.."

"That's why." Hermione cut him off. "We had to complete our mission it's too important for any distractions."

"He's not a bloody distraction." Harry spat furiously.

"I didn't mean....of course he's not I just..." Hermione began regretfully.

"Calm down." Buffy sighed. " We got the information to people who could use it and it worked out fine. You can be mad at me if you want but I'm not going to apologize. You have a job to do Harry, the world is counting on you and if I had told you, you would have had to make a choice. We only had one shot to break into the ministry and we didn't have time to do both. Would you really have wanted to make that choice?"

"I could have let Remus and Charlie do it still. I could have known, should have been told." Harry insisted angry.

"And been distracted, made a mistake possibly getting yourself or one of us killed." Buffy replied starting to get annoyed. "What if it didn't work? How would you feel then? Hermione is right, Sirius is a distraction one you didn't need right now and I would have kept it to myself until this was over if it wasn't a now or never situation. You have a job to do Harry man the hell up and do it. Because Hermione, Ron and even I can only do so much to help you. It's all on you, the weight of the world, nothing else matters."

"I guess I should have expected as much from the girl who would have thrown her own sister to her death to save the world." Harry snapped instantly regretting it at Buffy's wince.

"She would have never." Hermione began shocked.

"He's right." Buffy cut her off starring at Harry coldly. "I would have killed Dawn if I had to. It would have destroyed me but I would have done it. And the three of you would have probably never heard of it, of me other than some causal remark or mention of Dumbledore's long dead grandchild. You would have gone on living as if it never happened because to you it wouldn't have. That's why I do it, why you need to do what you have to do. Sure you defeat Voldemort and hundreds of people will call you a hero, sing your praises and admire the sacrifices you made the hard work you put in. Hell only a handful of people ever took notice of what I did."

"So what this about you not getting enough attention?" Harry demanded.

"No, it's not about that, or them. It's about the little girl, or boy, or man, or woman, the millions of people who will get up and go about their day never knowing, never knowing that it's because of you. They'll go on to live their lives never suspecting it could have all been over, the horrors they avoided because of what you did." Buffy explained. "I told you when we were back in Sunnydale that it was about Choices. That I choose to protect the world but none of you ever asked me why. Well, that's why. I do it for all of them, make the hard choices, sacrifice, for them. You choose to follow this path so you don't get to be selfish. All those people living their perfectly ordinary lives are counting on you Harry. Counting on you to save them and they don't even know it. If you do your job they never will. "

"No pressure." Ron said after a few tense moments of silence.

"I didn't tell you because I was trying to protect you from having to make a choice like I did." Buffy continued ignoring him. "Maybe I shouldn't have. So what would you have done?"

"I don't know but it should have been my choice to bloody well make." Harry insisted.

"We can sit and fight about this more or we can go see how Sirius is." Hermione cut in trying to end the fight.

"We don't know where they took him." Ron replied.

"Their watching the old headquarters." Hermione shrugged. "And I'd wager their looking for us too. So we just have to go and let them find us."

"Let's go." Harry said jumping from the fallen tree he'd been sitting on anxious to see his godfather again.

"I'll just wait here." Buffy said. "If I don't hear from you in two days I'll assume you've gone on without me."

"I don't want you to leave." Harry sighed. "I'm still angry but like you said I have a job to do and we can use your help if your still willing."

"I'm not going anywhere." Buffy shrugged.

"You can come with us. You can trust the order." Hermione insisted.

"Some of which are and were ministry officials who even if I could trust I would be putting in an awkward position cause once this is all over, assuming we win." Buffy explained. "The more people who know about me the harder it will be for me to disappear again once this is all over."

"Assuming we win." Ron added dryly.

"Of course." Buffy smirked. "If we don't it wont really matter."

"I'll wait here with her." Ron said surprising them all.

"But don't you want to see Sirius and your family." Hermione asked confused.

"If we all show up they'll never let us leave." Ron explained.

"You just don't want to face your Mum." Harry teased.

"Nope." Ron shrugged. "It's only been three months I figure about three or four more and she'll be so glad to see me alive that she wont be as angry."

"Good luck with that." Harry laughed knowing Mrs Weasley could probably hug him and strangle him at the same time quite efficiently.

"Their going to ask about you." Hermione pointed out.

"Just tell them the truth." Buffy replied. "That Dumbledore asked you not to say."

"That will go over smashingly." Hermione sighed. "But Ron does have a point." She conceded. "They will be more inclined to let us leave if Ron is out here waiting for us."

"Give them all my love." Ron Waved lying back on the thick grass.

"You two could make yourselves useful and research what we found instead of lazing about." Hermione said pointedly.

"We could but we probably wont." Buffy shrugged. "If they put you on lock down let us know and We'll come bust you out."

"We'll be back by this them tomorrow." Harry promised wishing he could have more time with Sirius but knowing they didn't have even this much to spare. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Hey was that a jab at me or her?" Ron asked unsurely.

"Both of you." Hermione replied for him and with a pop they were gone.

"So." Ron said once they were alone.

"So?" Buffy parroted raising a brow at him.

"Should we research?" Ron asked not at all looking forward to the boring book work.

"We should." Buffy nodded seriously. "It's the responsible thing to do." She said causing him to sigh in defeat. "But we don't necessarily have to do the book research."

"What did you have in mind?" Ron asked curiously.

"Well." Buffy grinned. "Voldemort may or may not being making vamps." She said explaining the pair she and Harry ran into. "And it would be irresponsible of me the vampire slayer to not find out."

"It would be important for the order to know if he is." Ron agreed "but how is that going to be better than doing research on the cup and diadem?"

"Ever been to a demon bar?" Buffy grinned.

"Harry are we ok?" Hermione asked unsurely. "I know how much you hate being lied to or having things kept from you."

"It wasn't your fault." Harry replied.

"I went along with it." Hermione insisted on taking her fare share of blame. "She had a good point though."

"I know." Harry sighed. "I'm not mad, ok I am mad." He corrected at her knowing look. "I'll get over it, I'm just happy he's alive. Do you think he's ok?"

"I imagine we'll find out soon enough." Hermione replied as they each suddenly found themselves with a wand pointed at their heads. "I believe we've been 'found'."

"Fred, George." Harry greeted carefully. "You do know your meant to fight the death eaters not us right?"

"How do we know it's really them?" Fred began pensively.

"We ask them the question." George replied.

"I don't remember their questions." Fred admitted.

"Me either, Well I suppose we can just make them up." George smirked.

"So Hermione, if it's really you and not some death eater in disguise you'll be able to tell us who is the more handsome twin?" Fred asked grinning.

"Fred you idiot your supposed to ask her something only she would know and everyone knows the I'm much better looking than you." George chastised. "Ask her something like how many books are in the Hogwarts Library?"

"Ten.." Hermione began only to be cut off.

"But how the hell are we supposed to know if she's right or not?" Fred demanded.

"I'm going to kill you two idiots." Hermione muttered annoyed.

"Sure does sound like her." George mused.

"I'm going to give you one minute to think up a question to decide we are really Harry and Hermione and if you don't I'm going to knock you both silly and I'm going to tell your Mum what really happened to the antique clock she was going to give Fleur and Bill as a wedding gift."

"That was an accident." Fred protested. "Hey wait that means it's really you. You're the only other person who knows about that, Except Lee."

"But why would Lee want to pretend to be Hermione?" George asked with Mock confusion. "Ok I guess that just leave Harry. But that begs the question why would Hermione hang out with a fake Harry?"

"Maybe she got sick of the real one?" Fred offered.

"Enough!" Harry shouted annoyed whipping out his own wand. "I want to see Sirius now." He demanded.

"Fine Spoilsport." George huffed. "Where's Ronekins?"

"Not with us." Hermione replied. "We'll explain one we get there, I'd rather do it once than five times. He's fine." She added at their looks of concern.

"I'll go get Dad." Fred said popping out.

"Harry and Hermione are going to kill us." Ron reminded her for the millionth time as they walked the dark streets.

"Nah, scream, lecture and, annoy but not kill." Buffy grinned. "Besides think of what a great story it will be to tell all those curly red haired kids your gonna have."

"Shut up." Ron Glared as she steered him through the door. Walking up to the dirty bar she eyed the low level demon standing behind it wiping a glass with a towel that look about as clean as the floor.

"What can I get you?" He asked scanning the two teens with a smirk. "On the house, seeing as it will be your last meal."

"Ge golly mister I'm so scared." Buffy mocked him. "Who's in charge around here?"

"What's it to you princess?" He sneered as a man walked up behind them.

"Um Buffy." Ron said nervously but without even turning around she trust her stake behind her reducing the vamp to dust.

"Oops." Buffy smirked. "I sure hope he wasn't running a tab."

"Who the hell are you!?" He demanded furiously.

"Oddly enough I'm the scariest thing in this room so you better start talking or your going to have a lot less customers." Buffy replied annoyed.

Thankfully Arthur did remember their questions and after a quick check of their identity and a quick lecture to Fred and George who as they all knew hadn't forgotten anything they were on their way to the new order headquarters.

"Harry! Hermione!" Molly exclaimed pulling them into a bone crushing hug as soon as they appeared in the kitchen. "Where is Ronald?" She demanded nervously letting them go.

"With a friend." Harry replied. "Where is Sirius?"

"Right here." He replied leaning heavily on Remus as he walked into the room. "What the hell have you been up to?"

"That's all I know I swear." The vamp insisted. "No let me go."

"Who said anything about letting you go?" Buffy smirked staking him.

"We finished?" Ron asked nervously from his place in the doorway

"Almost." Buffy said dusting herself off as she took stock of the Ruined bar. He should have listened to her but no demons and vamps always had to make things hard.

"Did he tell you anything useful?" Ron asked eyes trained on the dark alley.

"You could say that." She sighed. "We need to get the hell out of here before anyone else shows up. We need to find a phone I have to call Giles."

"Isn't that a fellytone over there?" Ron asked guesting to the one behind the bar.

"Not here, we can't let them know we were here, or that we know." Buffy said pacing. "There's not much time."

"Time for what?" Ron asked confused. "What's going on?"

"Nothing good." Buffy replied walking behind the bar and emerging with an armful of bottles.

"Thirsty?" Ron asked eying the liquor confused.

"Not exactly." She said dropping it on a table and handing him a bottle. "Pour it on everything."

"Ok why?" Ron said confused but following her lead.

"We're going to burn this rat hole to the ground." Buffy informed him.

"There's a spell that would be much easier."

"No magic." She cut him off sharply. "The only thing we got going for us right now is that they don't know we're on to them. Just hurry." She added at his confused look.


	24. rescue party

"Just keep moving." Buffy said not bothering to slow her brisk pace even as Ron struggled to keep up. She could here the wail of the fire engines behind them and the blaze was still visible they needed to put more distance between themselves and their little act of arson. "I'll explain everything after I talk to Giles." She promised not sure how to break the news to him. She didn't know Ron well enough to judge wether he'd fall apart or man up and be useful which she really needed now. Finally three miles later she slowed her pace as Ron wheezed gratefully falling into step behind her she kept constant watch she couldn't afford to be caught unaware. Stopping at the next red phone booth she passed she rummaged through the bag pulling out a piece of shimmery fabric.

"Pu this on." She ordered Ron handing him Harry's cloak grateful that with a questioning look he complied. Picking up the phone she dialed zero asking for the international operator. She had no idea what time it was back home but prayed Giles would hear his phone.

"Buffy is that you? Are you alright? Buffy!" Giles voice came through the line causing her to visibly relax.

"It's me, I'm ok." She assured him.

"What the bloody hell are you doing in London?"

"It's a long story." She sighed. "Giles things are not good here, Hell mouth bad. Giles I..." And before she could stop herself, unsure if she even wanted to it all came out. Her part anyhow, it wasn't her place to tell him about the others.

"Albus Dumbledore is your Grandfather!" Giles exclaimed.

"Was." She corrected him.

"Yes of course. I'm so sorry, I had no idea...wait I met him! At your..."

"Funeral." Buffy finished for him. "Look Giles can we do the fan boy thingy later I really need you to find out what the hell is going on."

"Right" She could almost picture him cleaning his glasses. "I'll make the call do you have a number I can reach you at?"

"I'll be here for the next fifteen minutes after that I'll have to get back to you." Buffy replied rattling off the payphone's number.

"I'll try and hurry." Giles promised as they hung up. With a sigh she sank to the ground leaning against the phone booth muttering an apology to Ron when she bumped into him.

"Do you know how to get to Hogwarts?" She asked not bothering to turn towards him it's not like she could see him anyways he was invisible. It may even be easier to tell him this way.

"Yes why?" Ron demanded keeping his tone quiet as she had. "It's run by death eaters now, the place is crawling with them."

"I know but..." She was saved by the phone ringing she jumped to grab it. "Hello?...Giles calm down...I know I figured...No you guys should sit tight until he's gone there's no point...I know tell her to watch her back...I will bye." She sighed hanging up. "Son of a bitch." She growled slamming the door to the booth so hard it flew off it's hinges.

"Buffy." Ron asked unsurely pulling the cloak off.

"Keep it on." She ordered. "We need to go. You know how to get to Hogwarts so take me there."

"Why?" Ron demanded.

"We need to get your sister out of there." Buffy replied watching him carefully. "We don't have time to wait for Harry and Hermione. We need to go now and get here tonight before it's too late."

"He wants her, to hurt Harry." Ron realized painfully. "He pretty much has her already. They should have never let her go back to school."

"No they shouldn't have." Buffy agreed with him.

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"What do you mean you can't say?" Sirius asked frustrated as he was met with the same answer to almost every question he asked.

"Harry this friend, the one that gave you the information to free Sirius, who is she?" Remus asked hesitantly. "We found this." He said placing the visitor badge on the table.

"Oh dear, that explains the reaction at the Ministry." Hermione sighed shaking her head at her friends antics.

"I don't know who this girl told you she is but there is no way she can be Elizabeth Dumbledore." Tonks began.

"Cause she died." Harry cut her off. "I know all about what happened to her."

"I'm not sure you do." Arthur began unsurely.

"We know you saved her." Harry admitted. "Dumbledore took her to America, she was raised by muggles and became the slayer. Last year she sacrificed herself to stop a god from sucking the world into hell. We know what happened to Elizabeth And we know who the girl with us really is. I can't tell you who she is because I promised both Dumbledore and her I wouldn't. All I can say is she is someone who can help us and we can trust."

"How can you be so sure you can trust her, with things you can't even trust us with." Sirius demanded.

"Harry please." Arthur said the pain evident in his eyes making it hard for Harry to meet them. "Is she Elizabeth?"

"I told you Elizabeth died." Harry began.

"I know what you told me, I know what Dumbledore told me." Arthur cut him off frustrated. "What they said she did at the Ministry, it has to be her, but it can't be...Is she alive? Is it her?" he demanded. But before Harry could reply Kingsley's patronus appeared with grave news.

"Ginevira Weasley has been taken we have one hour to surrender Harry Potter or She will be turned and sent to destroy us all. The order will me arriving momentarily."

"They'll never be able to turn her, Ginny's to strong she'll fight it." Fred insisted shaken by the news as Arthur tried to comfort Molly feeling helpless.

"No I can't risk her being hurt." Harry replied.

"And we can't risk losing you." Bill said surprisingly calm.

"Beel?" Fleur questioned as his statement was met with a roomful of glares.

"I know you love her Harry, well so do I but while we all may not be in on the big secrets we do know You are our only hope. If we sacrifice you to save Ginny today who's going to stop him from killing her tomorrow? From killing us all?" Bill explained.

"So we just let him have her?" Fred asked bitterly. "We sacrifice her, our baby sister?"

"Bill's right." Charlie replied. "But we're not just going to let him have her, we need a plan. The whole orders on it's way. We get her back or die trying." He said his brother's nodding in agreement.

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"Ginny's strong." Ron said speaking more to reassure himself than the blonde beside him. "She'll fight them, she wont let them turn her evil. She can fight their magic."

"They aren't trying to turn her evil...well they are but not with magic." She sighed pulling him to a stop beside her. "They're planing to turn her into a vampire."

"Bloody hell." Ron gasped.

"We need to stop them because if they manage... If we're to late we'll have to..." She didn't know how to break it to him and they had little time for him to fight her or break down. "Come on we need to move quickly." She said as they snuck into Hogsmeade. They paused behind a dark building as Ron quietly explained the easiest way to sneak in when they heard a commotion, suddenly they were roughly grabbed and pulled indoors.

"I was wondering when you'd arrive."

"Who are you?" Buffy demanded her eyes adjusting to the darkness with only a single candle lighting the grimy Bar.

"He owns this place." Ron said glancing unsurely at the old man wrapped in a dingy cloak.

"Friend?" Buffy asked eyeing him carefully.

"I think so." Ron shrugged. "We need to get into Hogwarts."

"Your sister's not there anymore." He replied. "I'm sure you heard the spectacle their making. Do you have a plan?"

"Is there any way for me to get close enough to get a look at what's going on?" Buffy asked.

"I can get you close." He replied. She looked into his eyes wondering why she felt she could trust him, for all she knew this was a trap but they didn't have much else to go with so she silently gestured for him to lead the way.

"How long have they been at it?" She asked quietly.

"They said they were giving Potter an Hour." He replied. "He's got forty five minutes left." He then brought his finger to his lips motioning her ahead of him. When she peaked over the stack of crates she was glad she'd made Ron stay back. They said an hour but never trust a demon. Ginny was tied to a stake in the center of the Village the sent of her blood heavy in the air as it tricked from the multitude of bites on her body. She could feel the heavy warding circulating around her. No magic could get in or out of it. That could work in her favor. She counted fifteen vampires, most of them new but the others old enough to make her worry. Ten death eaters where scattered about carefully avoiding the hungry vamps and magic proof circle. She knew there were probably more nearby including Voldemort awaiting his prize be it Harry or Ginny as a vampire. She silently crept back to the two waiting men noone spoke until they were safely back in the bar.

"There's to many of them for us to take on." Buffy informed Ron grimly after relaying what she saw.

"We have to try." Ron began glaring.

"Calm down I have a plan." Buffy assured him. "It only has the slightest chance in hell of working but it's our only hope." She sighed. "We're going to have to grab her and run."

"They'll be expecting that from the order." The man spoke up.

"Yeah, that's why they have the place warded." Buffy nodded. "Only an absolute fool would enter that circle with all those vamps around. They'd be completely defenseless against them not that magic always works well on Vampires but...that's not really an issue now." She pulled her own duffle bag out of the beaded one Hermione had left with them carefully laying an assortment of weapons on the table before her. "Here's what we're going to do." She said turning to Ron.

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"So everyone's clear?" Bill asked receiving nods from his family and the members of the order present.

"I'm going with you." Harry insisted for the hundredth time.

"You're not going anywhere near there." Molly Snapped.

"We don't have time to argue about this, we need to leave now." Charlie said annoyed. "You need.."

"Ron!" Hermione cried from the corner of the kitchen unintentionally cutting him off and capturing everyone's attention. "Ron they've taken Ginny."

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"Do you know how many laws were breaking?" Ron asked carefully pocketing the rings she gave him.

"My existence is illegal so forgive me for not caring." Buffy shrugged "Are you ready for this?"

"No but Ginny doesn't have time for me to get ready so let's go." Ron replied nervously.

"Thanks for all your help." she said turning to the strange man.

"I only wish I could do more." He smiled sadly.

"Time to go." She said turning to Ron. "Remember no matter what happens stick to the plan."

"I will." he promised pulling the invisibility cloak around him.

"I'm serious Ron, if we get separated."

"Don't come back for you I know." He cut her off rolling his eyes as he reached back for the hood of the cloak.

"Good, and when you do come back for me, make sure you don't bring Harry."

"Got it." he grinned as his head disappeared under the cloak.

"This is it." Buffy whispered as they made their way into the last alley. She ducked behind a stack of crates. She took one last quick recon glance seeing the twinkling lights of the castle in the distance. So close she told herself shaking her head to banish the thought, she needed to focus. Taking a deep breath she leveled her weapon locking onto her target she fired.

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"What do you mean you have her?" Hermione asked stunned.

"What's going on?" Harry demanded.

"We don't have time for this, Ginny needs help and I have to..." Ron trailed off panicking. "She's hurt badly."

"Go to the headquarters, We'll meet you there with your Dad." Hermione replied hurriedly.

"Just send Dad, you two stay where you are, I'll explain everything when I see you." Ron said ending the call before she could argue.

"What's going on?" Arthur asked confused.

"You need to go to the headquarters and Get Ron." Hermione explained hurriedly. "He has Ginny she's hurt but alive." She informed them causing an eruption of cheers.

Arthur disappeared Quickly as Molly wiped the tears from her eyes and began shouting orders gathering all the healing supplies they'd need.

For the next fifteen minutes chaos reigned in the kitchen of Aunt Muriel's house. Arthur returned with a barely recognizable Ginny and Molly set to work everyone jumping to carry out her orders or stay out of her way. Once she done all she could she smoothed the long red hair from her daughters unconscious face. And met the gazes of her family with a watery smile.

"I think she'll be alight." She informed them as a collective sigh of relief cut through the silence. "Where is Ronald?" She asked turning to her husband.

"He didn't stay." Arthur said unsurely. "Oh I'm to give this to you." He said handing a stunned Hermione her beaded bag.


	25. secrets out

It had all been going to plan. She'd managed to get off all five shots with her crossbow and taken out three vamps and seriously pissed off one wizard. She managed to doge most of the spells until she made it into the circle. She hoped Ron had gotten in undetected but didn't have time to worry about it or the scorched skin of her left shoulder as she faced off with the twelve vamps left. Quickly staking the one closest she dodged a punch from another the newbie vamps attacking as the older ones stood back watching carefully realizing the danger she presented.

Out of the corner of her ee she saw a floating hand slip a ring onto Ginny's swollen and bleeding finger as a dagger appeared cutting the ropes that blinded her. She staked two more vamps but was unable to avoid another's attack.

"THE GIRL!" One of the wizards shouted as Ron dragged his sister to the edge of the circle.

"GO!" Buffy shouted as she used the momentum of the kick the vampire landed to roll between them and the siblings. Reaching into her pocked she pulled out a vial of holy water uncorking it and spraying the approaching group. "NOW!" she shouted as the Deatheaters sprung into action. Reaching into her pocket for her own ring she didn't see the attack coming she was tackled to the ground cursing as she watched her ring sail from her grip landing well out of the circle her only conciliations being noone seemed to notice and that Ginny vanished before the deatheaters could grab her. Pulling another stake from her boot she took care of her attacker. She leapt to her feet carefully eyeing her remaining opponents.

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"Ron...Ron...RON!" Hermione shouted holding the useless hard of the mirror in her hand "Why isn't her answering?" she asked near tears turning to Harry.

"Ron." Ginny croaked blinking wearily as she finally woke.

"Ginny!" Molly cried helping her sit up. "How do you feel?"

"Are you alight?"

What happened."

"Do you know what happened to Ron?"

"I.." She struggled to get her bearings as her family fired off questions. "What happened?"

"That's what we'd like to know." Mad-eye spoke up moving to sit next top the shaken girl. "We need you to tell us everything you remember."

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'And then there were two' Buffy thought wearily as she faced the last two vamps left. She'd dusted five others the rest had run away preferring to live to fight another day than face the slayer. But she was tired not that she'd allow them to see it, her whole body ached and she could barely stand. Even if she managed to slay the last two she wouldn't stand a chance against the waiting deatheaters. If only she could make it too her ring she could get out of there before she died.

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She told them how she'd been grabbed from the great hall and forced into Hogsmeade as they taunted her with their plans. "I tried to get away. They kept biting me telling em how good witches taste and how much I'd love being one of them. Then they mad me drink their blood. I didn't want to, I couldn't...I'm going to become one of them now aren't I? " She said near tears.

"No." Hermione spoke up seeing the uncertainty on everyone's faces. "Not unless you die." She explained. "As long as you stay alive you wont turn."

"Are you sure?" Ginny asked hopefully.

"Yes." Hermione nodded. "I've spoken to an expert on such things and you must die with their blood in your system, though I'm not sure how your drinking of their blood will effect you." She explained honestly.

"Shouldn't it have you know, healed her or something?" Bill asked uncertainly.

"Honestly Bill this isn't some silly teenage romance novel." Hermione scoffed. "Vampire Blood isn't useful for anything except making other vampires."

"But you said her drinking it could do something." George replied confused.

"I honestly don't know." Hermione admitted. "But I will find out just as soon as I get in touch with Ron."

"Ron?" Fred asked. "What would he know."

"Ron wont..." She began to explain.

"Ron!" Ginny exclaimed. "I passed out I think but then I woke up, sort of and he was there. I think...I think he rescued me."

"Yes he brought you to the old headquarters, do you remember that?" Mad-eye asked.

"No...I ...We took a portkey I think, it felt like one. I don't know where we ended up but I remember him saying it would be ok, that he was going to get me somewhere safe and that he had to go back for her, that she'd lost her ring. Then I passed out again." She said struggling to remember. "I think he went back for the girl who was fighting the vampires."

"What girl?" Arthur demanded.

"I don't know who she was." Ginny replied pensively. "But they did. Something flew through the air and suddenly one of them turned into dust. The woman...vampire biting me said the slayer came to play. She seemed happy about it and then the one in charge said to make sure he present was ready and they made me drink something."

"Drink what?" Tonks asked concerned.

"I don't know, it didn't seem to do anything." Ginny shrugged.

"And the girl, what else can you tell us about her?" Mad-eye asked.

"She seemed to know what she was doing." Ginny began hesitantly. "I think she was with Ron. I don't know...I was only half conscious and I couldn't see who it was that was untying me, they put a ring on my finger." She said holing up her hand showing them the simple silver band. "I think it was Ron...I couldn't see him...Why couldn't I see him?"

"Invisibility cloak." Harry supplied.

"Oh." Ginny nodded. "She shouted to go and someone...Ron pushed me through the wards and then the portkey but I don't know how..."

"The ring." Kingsley Spoke up alerting them to his presence. "One of three unauthorized portkeys activated tonight."

"Three?" harry asked hopefully that could mean Buffy also got away.

"Yes two around the time you got in contact with Ron and the third a few moments ago." Kingsley nodded. "This girl, can you describe her?"

"She was...well she was blonde and not very big. I mean she had to be really strong to fight like she was...but...but she just seemed so...I guess she was about my age, maybe a bit older." Ginny struggled to describe her. "she was just a girl."

"Sounds like your friend from the ministry." Kingsley said turning to Harry and Hermione.

"So you do know her?" Ginny asked as Harry refused to meet her gaze.

"Is there anything else you can tell us about her?" Kingsley asked when neither Harry nor Hermione would speak.

"She was very pretty." Ginny replied quietly as a shiver racked her body.

"Ginny are you feeling ok?" Charlie asked concerned her Color had still yet to return even with all the blood replenishing potions their mother had forced down her throat and he could see a fine sheen of sweat breaking out all over her body.

"Your burning up." Molly said worriedly her hand on her forehead.

HPBTVSHPBTVSHPBTSV

"You've got five more minutes." Ron said pacing nervously wand gripped tightly in his hand jumping at the slightest noise as he prayed she'd appear. "That's it times up." He said determinedly.

HPBTVSHPBTVSHPBTSV

She had finished off the Vamps but she was still trapped with no idea how long the barrier would keep up preventing magic but for now it kept them away. None of them were brave enough to face off against her without their wands. Not after the first idiot made that mistake. All she wanted to do was give into the pain and pass out but she couldn't let them see it, or the fact that she desperately wanted to get to the small circle of metal they'd yet to notice. Gathering her strength to make her final move that would either get her out of this mess or killed. She had to do something before Ron came back for her, even with his help they wouldn't both be able to get safely away.

"Shit." She cursed quietly when with a tiny pop he finally arrived.

"I believe you have something of mine." He smirked walking up to the edge of the ward where she stood.

"Finders keepers." She shot back.

"You're becoming quiet a nuisance." He said annoyed.

"Just a nuisance I guess I'll have to try harder." She replied refusing to back down from his stare.

"Tell em where to find Harry Potter and I might allow you to live." He snapped.

"No Idea." She shrugged. "And even if I did know I wouldn't tell you."

"I know your working with him."

"Never met him." She lied. "I work alone."

"You weren't alone tonight, you had help."

"Not his."

"The wards wont hold forever, once they fall you'll wish you'd cooperated with me. I think I'll enjoy hearing you beg for mercy."

"Why don't you come in her and say that?" She taunted.

"I'm not as foolish as Goyle." He sneered sparing his minion's unconscious form a brief look of disgust.

"Good help is so hard to find." She smirked.

"Indeed, if I wasn't surrounded by such incompetence we wouldn't be in this situation, would we Elizabeth?"

"It's Buffy."

"Yes I know, Buffy Anne Summers, formerly Elizabeth Anne Dumbledore, formerly deceased. Three times If I'm not mistaken." He smirked. "The first can be explained by Malfoy's utter failure to capture or kill and infant." he spat disgustedly. "The second is also explainable but the third, well that does peak my curiosity. I wonder how you pulled that one off."

"Keep wondering."

"The magic already begins to weaken."

"You don't scare me."

"Come out here and say that." He taunted as she'd done earlier.

She really wanted to wipe that smirk off his face but knew she wouldn't come out the winner in and magical fight with him, especially not in the condition she was in. She had enough in her for one last strike so she made her move flipping her dagger at him knowing it wouldn't make contact but the two seconds he took to doge and throw up a protective barrier was all she needed to launch herself diving between the two stunned Deatheaters to enthralled with their masters presence to react to her sudden move her fingers closing around the ring as she was jerked away before they could stop her.

"Times up...Buffy!" Ron said relived as he raced over to her. "Are you alright..." He began moving to help her up but hastily retreating a s she rolled onto her knees promptly emptying the contents of her stomach. "What can I do?" Ron asked as he helped her to her feet.

"What do you know about fixing broken ribs?" She asked doubling over in a fit of coughs cursing as she saw the blood covering her hand once she'd recovered. "I think I punctured a lung." She rasped leaning heavily on him unable to support her own weight.

"I'm bloody useless at healing spells." Ron admitted remorsefully. "What about a muggle hospital?"

"Fred and George are pretty good at healing, they have to be with all the crazy stuff they get into. 'I'll get you somewhere safe and get them. They'll help and wont say anything especially after what you just did for Ginny."

"Is she alright?" Buffy asked concerned.

"She was alive when I left her with Dad." Ron replied the concern evident in his voice.

"Well let's go find out how she's doing."

"What?" Ron asked confused.

"Uglywart showed up right before I got away, he knows who I am and after the stunt I pulled at the Ministry I think it's safe to say my secret is out." Buffy explained. "I need someone who can fix this magically or I'm going to be out of commission for a while slayer healing or not."

"Alright let's go before they figure out a way to trace the portkeys." Ron said gripping her tightly as he apperated them away.


End file.
